The World is Ours
by eostellary
Summary: As their nation moves forward, so shall they as its citizens. Who says they have to do it alone? Who says they can't do it together? Post-Brotherhood aka what I hope RoyAi future would be post-Promised Day. Very heavy on the domestic!RoyAi. Chapter 13: Desert arrival
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I admit I have very little knowledge regarding the ways of the military - its laws, its rank promotions, its general logistics - so if there are any and all inconsistencies in this fic, I will have to apologise. I realise that I may be bending several if not many military regulations or whatnot, but I hope you can understand that this is a work of fiction and no way totally represents reality. Also, I don't know which country or nation Amestris is modeled after so, again, I apologise if you spot numerous errors in my representation of it. I own nothing, just my imagination and immense love for RoyAi (far too immense that it hurts my heart if I don't see them happy after everything they have been through, my poor bebiiis). And also, I tend to write sucky summaries so I apologise (once more, yes) if you can't see where this fic is going just yet. It'll be RoyAi centered with a sprinkle of our favoured characters here and there, along with future RoyAi babies. Just overall romance and family fluff (and future lemony snickies). I admit I don't have an outline for this (like with any of my other chaptered works), just general plot bunnies that I shall try to sew together the best I can. I would be grateful if you let me know what you think. Thank you! x

* * *

It wasn't particularly frequent that she was summoned to her grandfather's office. Whenever there was an issue that remotely concerned her, Riza would always be called to his home. That has always been the situation even before he became Führer of Amestris shortly after the demise (or should she say defeat?) of King Bradley. It had almost been six months since then.

Whatever Grumman has up his sleeve that morning, Riza was hard-pressed to be suspicious but she chose not to colour her feelings prior to the actual meeting so she could remain neutral when it happened.

The lieutenant saluted her grandfather and held her stance even after he ordered his attendants and secretaries to vacate the room when he was made known of Riza's presence. Riza didn't wait for a command to relax her stature once they were alone in the vast office.

"Have you been well, my dear?" Grumman greeted with a warm smile as he stood from his desk chair.

Riza shifted her balance from one foot to another. The last time she was here, she was Bradley's hostage and she couldn't help but recall the feeling of dread even if the threat has long been vanquished. "Well as can be despite the numerous work, Grandfather. Might I inquire regarding the reason you called for me?"

"Always direct to the point like your mother…" he smirked, turning from her to face the window.

" _Grandpa_. We're in the middle of work. This is not the time nor the place to be reminiscing," she muttered then crossed her arms.

A chuckle escaped the aged man's lips and he pointed vaguely to the highest stack of papers on his desk, beckoning his granddaughter to check them. He reclaimed his seat on his chair and watched Riza as she went through the stack of documents. From an outsider's point of view, her facial expression did not change. However, he was kin and he knew where to look to see the manifestations of Riza's emotions.

"I..I don't understand? Promotion requests? For myself?"

Grumman sat back against the plush chair and nodded, pushing back his glasses to his nose bridge. "Before you jump to any conclusions, no I did not make them. Mustang sure as hell didn't. No one that has worked with you did. It's all the council."

"But why?"

A sly smile coloured his grandfather's face and Riza wasn't sure whether he was amused at her and her reactions or at the general situation that she was in now. Or the council that initiated what was sitting before her.

"The military council has simply seen your efforts and deemed that your rank is not at all representative of such," he answered simply.

Hawkeye narrowed her eyes at her grandfather and took the seat before her, the gaze of her eyes vivid with suspicion at the papers that she perused earlier. "That can't only be the reason."

"Of course not."

" _Grandpa._ "

Sighing in amusement, Grumman bit back a chuckle and decided to spare his granddaughter the prolonged misery of ambiguity. Once he schooled his expressions back into place, he steepled his fingers under his chin and looked at Riza seriously.

"The reason is true. All of the past promotions you have declined since you felt it more useful to be Mustang's adjutant until he reaches his goal. With the rate of everything before, you could very well be a rank below him since your work has almost matched his, if not surpassed it. We know you are half of the brains of any undertaking he has done and the council has long realized that. It frustrates them so that you are being limited to your rank when you could be more useful to the country if your rank is a bit higher."

"But—" she started but she was cut off by Grumman's hand being held up.

"But nothing. I know it's some sort of unspoken pact between you and Mustang to have you watch his back until he becomes the leader of this country but we're close to achieving that once my reign is over. And no one is stupid enough to prohibit you from protecting Roy if need be. While accepting the promotion will certainly change work dynamics, who's to say your future team and his can't collaborate?"

Riza was silent for a moment before she looked towards Grumman once more. "Say I accept the council's proposition… Isn't it a superfluous leap from my current rank to…" The first lieutenant paused and skimmed over the cover page of the documents. "Colonel?"

"Well, that's not my decision. It's the council's and they deemed it proper. Also, it's the council and they get to do what they want. I merely have the final say on most of the things they decide on," he shrugged.

The uncertainty on Riza's face was not lost on her grandfather and he sighed softly, reaching over to tip her chin upwards. "If it's any consolation, you are not the only one they are promoting…superfluously."

Riza blinked several times before pursing her lips. "What did the council eat recently?"

Grumman allowed himself a snort and a quick laugh. "They merely are revamping themselves in order to purge the corruption that has long plagued this country's government. With the stick pulled out from their arses, it's now possible for them to give credit to where and whom they are due. You are one of them, my dear."

"I need time to think about this."

The Führer pulled back and sipped his tea. "It's a luxury that you can't have, unfortunately. I'm signing these documents tomorrow."

Riza's eyes widened a fraction and she scowled at her grandfather. "And you choose to tell me 24 hours prior?!"

A cocky, unapologetic smile was offered as an answer.

"Grandfather!"

"Now, now, Riza. Think about the implications of such in the long run. You will be having a team of your own and will be able to do more than just babysit Mustang. Mustang will be the head of this country, which will promote him to the highest rank and you need to be at his heels if you wish to support him better. It's not going to take long, like I said. You will be back in each other's arms before you know it. And this time, legally."

Riza rolled her eyes dramatically, already used to the jibes Grumman has regarding her and Roy's relationship with each other. "For the last time, Grandpa, we're not—"

"Sure, yeah. Whatever."

Clicking her tongue, Riza eyed Grumman in exasperation. "Might I remind His Excellency that fraternization laws are in place in this military and—"

"So? Your relationship with Mustang has been a candidate for court martial especially when Bradley held office but no one can produce substantial evidence of abuse of rank or coercions or personal gain. In the eyes of that military law, you and himself are not violating anything thus far. But agree to the promotion to be safe. With you out of his command, you can properly be together. Also, I want great-grandchildren soon," he quipped.

" _Grandfather!_ "

Grumman chuckled, clearly amused at his granddaughter's discomfort and the blush creeping from her face to what was exposed of her neck. "It's true! I want little kids to tell stories of how I blew up a train, among other tales. You'll let me babysit, right?"

Riza closed her eyes and let out a huff of exasperation. "You are jumping the gun, Grandpa."

"Funny that," he hummed. "He told me the same thing when I told him to marry my granddaughter so she can become the First Lady of Amestris."

Her irk was evident in her face now and she wasn't even exerting any effort hiding it. "When did you…? God, it doesn't even matter now. I guess it's true that the older one becomes, the less of a brain-to-mouth filter one has."

Grumman snorted once more. "It's much more liberating that way. So, you're agreeing, yes?"

Riza looked from one side to another before her eyes settled on the stack of documents before her. In her silence, she contemplated what her grandfather has said. Maybe climbing the ranks would be a good thing in the long run. If Roy were to take office once Grumman relinquished it, her current rank is subject for reassignment under another commanding officer. The thought alone left a bitter taste in her mouth. "It's not like I have any other options."

The old man put his hands together and his eyes brightened as a smile broke out from his lips. "Excellent! Now, if you could sign those…"

Nodding, Riza grabbed the nearest pen available and began to do as she was requested. "I'm assuming I'm the only one who gets to hear the news of their promotion from the Führer himself."

"Naturally. All the others don't need much convincing like you do, my dear. Then again, all the others aren't as stubborn as the Hawk's Eye."

It was Riza's turn to snort. "Must be a family thing."

"Oh no. I deem it a family treasure," Grumman sang.

"Hm."

The Führer's expression softened as he watched Riza sign every paper she needed to sign with flourish. "For what it's worth, I'm glad we are in agreement with this. I was a bit worried you would decline the offer. You will see in time that this will be one of the best decisions you shall ever make in your life, my dear."

Riza looked up at him, all calm now as she slowly makes peace with her decision. "You really think so?"

Nodding, Grumman offered a kind smile. "I honestly do. You may not see it but you do contribute immensely to the betterment of this country even if what you do mostly is keep Mustang in line. If he weren't kept in line, then I would weep for Amestris' future. It's because of your role in Mustang's life that he shines with potential to lead and reform our land. Somehow, this land is indebted to you for it."

"I think that's an overestimation of what I actually do."

Grumman smirked. "And you underestimate the impact you have. Think of it this way. Without you to light a fire under Mustang's ass, this country would not have a hopeful tomorrow. Sure, it will have Olivier Mira Armstrong as a ruler but we need her to hold the fort in Briggs. No one can do that but her, and no one can lead the country as a whole but Roy. Like I said, he shines with potential but you are the catalyst that realizes that potential, whether you see it or not."

Incredibly humbled, Riza clutched the pen tightly in her hand. "I don't know what to say to that."

Her grandfather shrugged and sat back. "You don't have to say anything. It may be a cloudy vision at the moment but the big picture is that we are gearing towards healing as a nation. We shan't remain stagnant. We need to play our parts. If the country is set to move forward, then so must its citizens. You included."

"That I understand. I suppose I cannot always remain under the wing of the General," Riza said softly.

"I agree. You should be standing beside him, instead of under him. I know he would be proud of you and happy for you. And he will be your greatest support just as you are his."

Riza clicked the pen close and pushed the documents toward Grumman. "Must you always be a romantic sap, Grandpa?"

"What so bad about it? I just want to see my sole granddaughter be happy and express her happiness openly without fear of losing everything she has worked for. You have been through so much at the age of 25 and you still have much to achieve. Your military career has always been fated to flourish but it's time that you allow yourself to recognize that you can have a happy life outside of that. Start with Mustang," Grumman nodded.

Her eyes casted downwards and she chewed her lip. "You always find ways to bring him into the conversation. Why is that?"

Grumman propped his chin on his hand as his elbow rested on the oak table. "I'm merely stating the obvious, since you seem to be so keen on ignoring what is in front of you. The man cares for you deeply, far deeper than the bounds of close friendship."

"I know that."

"Then it's high time you do something about it. You know he won't move unless you give him motive to do so. He has high respect for you. Anyone can see that."

Riza stared at the oak table in silence as she mulled over hers and her grandfather's exchange so far. "It's not going to be easy."

"Ah, but it will be worth it."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Lots of conversations in this one, but it's necessary to set the stage! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for taking your time reading!

* * *

Roy eyed the men on his team as they scurried to pack up and leave the office. He couldn't fault them for being excited to be out of the Central HQ as it was a Friday night and they usually go out for drinks before heading home for some well-deserved rest. Invites always extend to him and his first lieutenant but more often than not, Riza declines for them to finish all the paperwork due that week. Tonight was one of such nights.

When Fuery closed the door behind him, Roy set his pen down and stretched his legs under the table. "Are you going to tell me what has been occupying your mind since this morning?"

Caught off-guard by his sudden question, Riza stilled her hands on the stack of folders and looked up to Roy. "…Sir?"

"Don't look so surprised. I know when you're thinking about something and my guess is that it is related to the meeting you had with your grandfather this morning," he said calmly, pushing his chair back and walking over to the sofa in the centre of their team's office.

The Flame Alchemist sat himself beside his adjutant, his oldest friend. "Are we in trouble?"

Roy doesn't consider himself the smartest person but he was wise enough to know that a lot of people view his and Riza's close relationship as something that tread far too closely to be considered appropriate. In all honesty, nothing was going on between him and Riza despite the history they have, and the burdens they share. Then again, not everyone was privy to that.

Mustang had caught wind of several attempts to put him and Hawkeye through court martial in the past and it actually surprised him that none of such attempts came in fruition. However, he had no idea whether Riza knew as well, or if she did, he wouldn't know what she thought of it.

Their close friendship is a topic that has been lost through the lengthy time of working together, and they simply function through vague statements and unspoken facts. It served them well before and there hadn't been a situation that warranted thorough discussion.

After all, they were busy with a myriad of other things like preventing the citizens of Amestris be wiped out so that the former upper echelons of the military can gain false immortality.

"It's not like that, General," she offered calmly, starting to organise in her mind how she would go about the inevitable conversation about to happen.

"If you could enlighten me, Chuui?" Roy asked softly.

Riza blinked several times before she nodded and looked at him squarely. The blonde lieutenant gave a brief rundown of the conversation she had with her grandfather this morning, making sure to omit the parts where her _dear_ grandfather teased her immensely about the man before her at the moment. Hawkeye sat herself in silence and busied herself with sorting the documents once more as she let Roy take in everything she had just said.

He knew —he actually felt more than knew— that there was a wide array of emotions that passed through his face as he digested every bit of information that Riza supplied in response to his request.

First, he couldn't really believe that Grumman would want to take Riza away from him. It didn't make sense. Then, he became angry and there was a strong urge to torch down the old man's office just to spite the Führer but he knew he'd be thrown behind bars faster than he could poise to throw another flame. He quickly watered that urge down and began to construct and deconstruct plans for compromise so Riza could retain by his side (or back, whichever. It wasn't important at the moment.).

The longer he thought about such compromises, the easier he was assaulted by that gnawing feeling in his chest that he would have to face the prospect of functioning without Riza for several extended periods of time. He grit his teeth at the thought and he only realised his fists were clenched when his dull nails were threatening to cut through the skin of his palm. The sting brought him back to reality and he swallowed the bitter pill that he was forced to imbibe.

His gaze narrowed and widened alternatingly in no coherent pattern, making his head swirl. The fatigue from the day's work definitely was not helping his case at all. If Grumman were bold enough to suggest—highly encourage, rather— something like this to Riza, then it better be a small part in a greater scheme of things that his old brain must be orchestrating.

"Sir?" Riza's voice broke his reverie and his head snapped up to face her once more. "Are you all right? You've gone from being red in the face to completely breaking out into a sweat."

Mustang pursed his lips and huffed. "I'm fine, Chuui. I just…"

Riza's gaze softened further and the concern was well written in her eyes. She knew that breaking the news to Roy would be nothing short of challenging, especially since she withheld from him Grumman's rather _personal_ reasons regarding his agreement with the council. Still, knowing such did not make the situation any easier to handle.

Between the two of them, she was the one who had a greater tendency to remain logical with a cool head when faced with highly distressing situations, especially ones that concerned their personal dynamic. However, Riza is, of course, not immune to emotion and it was difficult for her to put Roy through such an ordeal.

"He hasn't signed the papers yet. I can still—"

Roy shook his head fervently, a serious, if slightly bitter, look on his face. "No. It won't be necessary. I…I trust the Führer. Clearly, he has something brewing that will come to light soon. Nevermind me."

Sighing, Riza sat back against the cushions of the sofa. "I will never not mind you."

Roy looked down and rubbed the back of his neck. "I know. Likewise. What I mean is that…what I feel at the moment is irrelevant to the big picture. We'll just have to trust your grandfather. Though I would have to pay him a visit tomorrow after his morning exercise. The man likes to skirt around issues and it's not doing my peace of mind any good."

She had to chuckle at that. "Grandfather does have his…quirks."

Rolling his eyes, Roy snorted before he offered a hand. "Then, I believe congratulations are in order, Chuui. Or should I say 'Taisa' from now on?"

Riza took his hand and welcomed the handshake with a soft smile. "It feels foreign, to be honest."

"Eh, you'll get used to it," he quipped before they withdrew their contact. "I am happy for you, _Taisa_. You have shown immense care for your work and it is only befitting that they reward you for it."

The lieutenant hummed distantly. "Thank you, but I didn't exactly join the military to be rewarded for doing my job."

The Flame Alchemist nodded, the silent that befell upon the room was pregnant with more of their unspoken words and implied facts. While it wasn't exactly beating fast, he could feel his pulse thump through his ears. Roy's eyes softened and he allowed himself a small smile at her last statement.

"I know that I do not often say it enough, but I do appreciate everything you have done for me and continue to do for me," he uttered gently.

Riza eyed him sideways. "You make it sound like this is goodbye, Sir. It's merely a change in work dynamic."

Roy nodded at that. "I am aware, but I just want you to know that. I mean it every time that I say you are irreplaceable, subordinate or otherwise."

"Sir, again, you are treating this like it's the end," she chuckled.

"Will you still…?" he asked, but let the question hang. _…follow me?_

Riza's face turned serious once more as she nodded with conviction. "I did say to hell, Sir. To hell and back, over and over again, if need be."

Like always, he found her resolution and determination a source of inspiration. Riza has stared death in the face far too many times to count but she has never wavered in her loyalty to their shared perspective. Furthermore, it seems that the direr the situation, the more committed she becomes to the realization of their visions. "Then I look forward working alongside you, Taisa."

Riza offered him a kind smile and a hum of affirmation, and Roy thinks that the future just got more exciting.

* * *

"Have your feelings toward my granddaughter changed in any way, my boy?" The question caught him off-guard as they shared the vast shower room that was on the back grounds of the Führer mansion.

Roy had arrived that morning in order to talk with Grumman regarding the recent events concerning his personnel. Grumman had invited him for the rest of his morning exercise, which were mostly timed running sprints. The man looked old but he certainly functions like he was still in his military glory days. Well, almost.

"Mustang? I believe I asked a question," Grumman followed up behind the closed shower doors.

"Right, Sir. Sorry about that. I was just thinking," he said. As much as the Führer loves making people dance around with his ambiguities to entertain him, Grumman was sure as hell straightforward where Riza was concerned. Not that he minded. In fact, he could very well empathise as he was the same.

"And your answer, Mustang?" he pried. Grumman opened the door, dressed in a smart casual piqued collared shirt with comfortable trousers and sport shoes.

Roy finished drying his hair with the towel and set it on the side for the laundry personnel to pick up later. "I believe it has changed, yes."

Grumman eyed him with a soft smile before he led the man outside. Per his earlier instruction, the chess table has been set up by the large tree, the canopy serving as a shade from the warmth of the sun that morning.

"I'm going to have to require you to elaborate, General," the Führer said as he sat down opposite the younger man.

Roy nodded solemnly. "I will, Sir. But may I ask why you are bringing this up right now?"

A smirk found its way on the old man's face and the amused look on Grumman made Roy want to pout but he fought the urge to do so. "I know why you are here and what you will tell me will impact the course of our next conversation."

"Frankly, Sir. I don't know where to start…" he said tentatively, feeling a slight heat on his cheeks. Roy rarely talked about personal issues of the heart, finding relief in his cover as a womaniser more often than not.

"As cliché as this may sound, the beginning would be nice," Grumman offered. Somehow, he had an inkling that Roy Mustang had not ever divulged information regarding his and his granddaughter's relationship.

"It's going to be a long story, Sir."

Grumman flashed him a grin and made his first move. "Then I suggest you cease your dawdling and start talking."

Roy pushed a pawn forward and hummed, wondering if his story will surpass the length of their game or vice versa. "I was 9 when I first came to the Hawkeye manor. She was the one who opened the front door when I knocked, greeted me kindly and offered me a pack of biscuits and a cup of tea. I didn't know until later that her mother died not too long age before my arrival. She was good at hiding her emotions even at the young age of 4.

"I remember that she always comes to my study when the tutor you sent to teach her leaves for the day. We would spend an hour to play in the yard day after day, taking almost no time in becoming friends. I enjoyed her company then, and I try to always cheer her up whenever Sensei would cast her to the side or completely ignore her. Needless to say, we had gotten extremely close and I had learned to care about her deeply.

"However, I realise that I needed to move forward and earn my worth somehow. I couldn't go on living under Hawkeye-sensei's shadow, especially since he refused to teach me how to master Flame Alchemy. I wanted to become useful so I expressed my intent on joining the military. Back then, I was sure I was going to make a difference but Riza made leaving difficult.

"She was the first friend I ever made in my life and I didn't want to abandon her in that dilapidated manor. I almost wanted to take her away with me but I knew it wouldn't be right. There were days when I doubted my decision to leave but Riza told me to follow my dreams. That was the last encounter we had for a long while but I certainly kept memories of her fresh, especially at difficult times during the military academy.

"It pained me to realise that she was still living there when I went back to try my hand at procuring Sensei's postulates. When he died, Riza entrusted the secrets of the alchemy to me, hoping that I would use it for good. I had no idea she entered the military when I took the State Alchemist exam and our next encounter would be the battlefield in Ishval."

Roy clutched the pawn he had snatched from Grumman's force with more pressure than warranted as he brought the memories of Ishval to the forefront of his mind.

"My boy, you don't have to share anything further if it's entirely uncomfortable," Grumman said softly, advancing a knight.

The Flame Alchemist looked at the board and thought half about his next move and half about his next speech. After a few more moments, Roy figured it's best he talked now. Talking would help and he was sure Grumman wouldn't take advantage of the vulnerability that he was displaying at the moment.

"Probably one of the worst things I realised in that war was that I betrayed her trust, Sir. She trusted in me to do good with the secrets she allowed me to see, but I did the opposite. I could only comply to her request of destroying her father's research to free her from the shackles of his lingering cruelty on her.

"I suppose…I suppose it was pure serendipity that she was placed under my command when the war ended. And I consider myself the luckiest bastard that she expressed her trust in me once more, despite everything that had happened then. I asked her to watch my back but I only made that request so I could keep her close and hopefully pay her back for all the sorrow I brought upon her starting from my departure from the Hawkeye mansion.

"Riza never voiced it out but I had known her long enough and well enough that the prospect of being left with Sensei devastated her. After all, it was a cold, empty manor that housed an even colder master. No one in their right mind would wish to stay in a place like that, never mind possibly live there for the rest of her life.

"It was the same expression in her eyes that I saw when the war in Ishval ended. The image of those beautiful, soulful, and caring eyes expressing grief, guilt, and regret will forever be etched in my memory. I swore to myself then that it would be the last time I would cause her such pain. Of course, I brought them into life once more but I managed to quickly remedy that by not dying when we fought the lady homunculus."

Roy suddenly felt both acid and fire inside his mouth as he remembered their encounter with Lust. "It was the first time I witnessed her losing her composure and it gnawed at me that I was the one who caused it once more. At that moment, the need to protect her from anything and anyone that wished her harm all the more made itself known within me. I knew then that she wasn't just a close friend whom I am privileged enough to know and keep.

"She's so much more than just an irreplaceable subordinate, more than just my greatest ally, more than just my most avid and passionate supporter. Riza is the reason why I do what I do, and the reason why I clung to my ideals and the reason why I never lost sight of my goal. She was the flame that diminished the darkness that threatened to consume me. And for that, I cherish her very much...far more than I ever did before."

Silence dominated over the pair of generals as Roy swam in his thoughts. The whole lot of them remained unvoiced till now, and he had to admit that he felt a great mass of something lift from his being. There was something liberating about being able to spill a semblance of his soul to another person without the feeling of being judged.

Silently, he was thankful for Grumman for urging him to speak about his emotions. Being a soldier entailed a lot of norms and conventions; emotions were a danger to the job. While he felt almost naked talking to Riza's grandfather (of all people), Roy couldn't bring himself to regret what he did.

Grumman watched the Flame alchemist as he sat in silence, no doubt contemplating about what had transpired over the course of their game. He had a small, fond smile on his lips. The Führer leaned forward and laid a hand on Mustang's shoulder, squeezing gently.

"It gladdens this old geezer to hear you say such words about my granddaughter, my boy. She is essential to your being, I know. Now that she has accepted promotions and would shortly be out of your command, what do you plan on doing?" the old man asked as he took his seat once more.

Twiddling with his thumbs regarding his next move, the focus in Roy's eyes returned once more. "I plan on working twice as hard. I'll have to commit on improving my work ethic since there is still much to accomplish. I told myself that I will do what it takes to reach my goals simply because that is what she expects me to do and I don't wish to disappoint her. She works hard every day, does far and beyond what is expected of her, so it's only fair that I do the same. Besides, she'll be busier now that she will have her own team to command. Furthermore, I plan on supporting her on whatever she wishes to do, help her if she needs anything, even just a cup of tea. She has been a loyal adjutant through the years, so it's high time I pay her back in kind."

"Yes, yes, that's great and all, Mustang. I was referring to when you'll make her your wife," Grumman said, if a little impatiently but amusedly. Roy didn't know how he could balance those seemingly unrelated emotions in his tone of voice but somehow, the old man did so with flourish.

The solemn mood that has reigned over them in the past few minutes was now replaced by that familiar teasing atmosphere that the Führer always seem to carry. However, the blush on his cheek intensified and he looked haphazardly to the side to avoid the gaze of the old man.

"Well, S-Sir…Sir, I—" he stammered but took a few moments to collect himself. "I mean, will we not be summoned to court if…if we…"

Grumman sat back and chuckled. "You are a great soldier, Roy. Your instincts on the battlefield or any pressurized situation are superb but when it comes to fine print and legalities, you'll have to take several more lessons in reading and understanding political documents from my granddaughter if you want to be Führer."

Roy was now unable to hold the pout from breaking out on his face. He only read what he was interested in, which is less than half of the paperwork that he does on a daily basis. "What do you mean by that, Sir?"

The Führer held up a hand and waved it dismissively. "Never you mind; not important at the moment. What I mean to say is that the anti-fraternization law prohibits relationships between commanding officer and subordinate. Not superior officer and lower-ranked officer."

The realization hit Roy like a splash of water, as his mouth hung open. His Xingese-shaped eyes rounded.

"Oh."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hello, all! I am back with another update. This chapter ran on longer than I expected but I am happy with how it turned out. I hope you enjoy reading this installment and I shall see you in the next one (which, hopefully, will be very soon). You will be pleased to know that I have outlined the plots I wished to use in this story and so far, it will expand into 20+ chapters. Long and ambitious way to go, but I think it will be fun! Thank you again, for the faves, reviews, views, and follows. Like always, I would be grateful if you let me know what you think. x

* * *

The day that followed was pretty much routine, only Riza opted to mostly stay at home to give time and attention to Black Hayate, who deserved some pampering. The Colonel makes it a point to enjoy her days off as they do not really come by frequently, though it was in part that she does not like taking days off—ever the career-oriented lady.

Needless to say, with the whole of her day off being dedicated to her adorable pupper, she hasn't exactly sorted out the more personal matters that came with the paradigm shift in her workplace. It was both a blessing and a curse that she has mastered: the ability to compartmentalise her emotions and tuck them away into the dark corners of her mind.

…Which was why she was extremely shocked to see Roy Mustang sitting on his desk bright and early, working on documents and reports. Riza arrived, per usual, 30 minutes before the official start of government working hours. To validate the scene in front of her, her eyes glanced up at the clock to the side wall. 0730 hours, as expected.

"Ah, Taisa… I didn't notice that you have arrived," Roy said softly, not looking up from his work on his desk. "You must be here to start moving your things to your new office, right?"

 _Taisa._ She still couldn't wrap her head around the rank upgrade. While she was accustomed to saying it, especially when addressing the man before her, the word sounded foreign when it was used to address herself. Sure, the promotion ceremony is still at the end of the week but the promotion itself was effective immediately.

"Yes…" she replied feebly before she composed herself and went into the room. "You're extremely early today, Sir."

Finally, the General looked up from his work. "I woke up early and could not go back to sleep. So, I opted to get ready for the day and come here to get a head start."

A soft smile graced Riza's lips. "I'm glad to hear that, Sir. It helps to be efficient in doing paperwork to have more time outside the office."

Nodding, he smiled back. "Mm, I learned that through my former adjutant. She had been doing a far more stellar job than anyone could give her credit for. She's truly inspiring."

Try as she might, the newly minted Colonel couldn't help the warmth from spreading on her cheeks. "I am sure she's grateful to know such, Sir."

Roy stood from his desk and walked around it, stopping in front of Riza. "And I am grateful to have had her as my greatest ally."

"You haven't lost her, Sir. You're treating this like it's goodbye again. Frankly, I am getting tired of it," she said softly, a small frown.

Roy blushed softly, scratching the back of his neck. "I…I know. I'm sorry. Instead of being happy for you, I'm moping about it. I'm sorry. It's just that you've never been this far from me since Bradley held you hostage."

A look of concern briefly flashed on Riza's face before she stepped closer and sought his eyes. She held her gaze for a long moment before whispering, "I'm literally only a door away, Sir. Not too far that I can't watch your back. And certainly not too far that I can't check your work."

He held his breath as those beautiful, dark honey eyes stared into him. "You're taking Archer's former office?" he asked, hopeful.

She nodded, allowing a small grin to contour her features. "Hai."

"Thank _god_."

"Were you really that worried about the distance? It's not like I can't handle myself, you know."

Roy shrugged casually before he looked down on his polished military boots. "It's just that I would feel better if you were close by."

"And I am. Please don't spend so much time worrying over this. It's merely temporary before we get you to the top. If it would help in assuring you, we can leave the door open," Riza gently offered.

The general looked to the side to the door in question. "Maybe from time to time. I wouldn't want to disturb you from your own work just because I have an insatiable need to see you constantly."

Silence fell over Riza as she was surprised at his sudden audacity to voice out such feelings. They had never strayed from their silent understandings and voiceless agreements. Their relationship ever since she was placed under his command thrived on ambiguity.

It was just leftover familiarity that they tread so close to the boundaries countless times before. They had been close as children. And while they were hardened by the ugliness of war, they subconsciously revert to teasing each other when they were alone and being a little sarcastic with each other when they were with their team.

Riza didn't know if it were because they wished to cling to whatever remnant of their former selves they have, or if they just couldn't have a relationship without that familiarity seeping through from time to time.

The colonel didn't have much time in dwelling on the matter as she was pulled from the ocean of contemplation by his voice. Riza looked up to him in curiosity, as she was unable to hear what he had told or asked her.

"I asked if you wanted some help in moving your belongings to your new office," he said softly.

She nodded and offered him a grateful smile.

* * *

The door between her and Roy's office remained open and she could hear the men bustling in and saluting Roy before he greeted back in kind. The general briefed them about the situation, wanting the team to hear it from himself instead of reading the news through the memorandum circular that was sure to come out that morning.

Riza had a small smile and offered her thanks to the guys as they cheerfully congratulated her. When they voiced out their relief about her office being adjacent to theirs, she had to allow herself a chuckle. No one can whip the general into shape but her, they said, and they jibed that they were further relieved that they wouldn't have had to run far to fetch her should the time come.

The colonel wasn't sure which amused her more: Roy's sour face at the jokes, or the men actually happy that she wouldn't be too far from them. She had to admit that she already missed working with them, but if she were to be honest, they were capable of running Roy's office without her. Again, she had to repeat in her mind that this was only temporary. Grandfather promised her that this was only temporary and she is choosing to believe in his promise.

When 0800 hours rolled by, Riza closed the door but not before sending an assuring glance to Roy. It would be their first day at work without each other at arm's length and it was sure to be hard on them both. Never mind the fact that she would be meeting her new team today. Her eccentric grandfather opted not to let her know who would comprise her subordinate team just because he was Führer and he could do whatever he wanted. _Silly Grandpa_ …

A curt knock drew her out of her thoughts and before she could permit them to enter, the door opened with a smirking Rebecca Catalina, followed by Maria Ross and Denny Brosh. What surprised her the most was the presence of Darius and Heinkel, whom she was sure were performing in the circus not too long ago.

The five of them saluted her and she put them at ease. Riza then shortly decided that she was feeling agitated for naught, and decided that she has to put more faith in her grandfather. The man took care of her even from a distance and she should have known that he wouldn't compromise her own goals by putting a team of strangers under her. Oh, she was being spoiled rotten, indeed.

There were no need for introductions as they have been acquainted with each other in their brief time of participating in the coup so Riza got to the point. She leaned against her desk as they made themselves comfortable on the sofa at the centre of their office. Crossing her arms, Riza looked to every one of her subordinate and smiled softly.

"Well, now that we are all here, I will start by discussing what our team would be focusing on. Feel free to interrupt me to suggest ideas, contradict my information, or supply anything that may be useful to our goal. Are we in agreement?" She asked.

"Aye, Ma'am," they collectively responded.

She began passing to them a compilation of reports that she had procured the past few weeks. "The Führer has given me the liberty of choosing which project our team will spearhead in this rehabilitation phase that our nation is in right now. The rest of the military teams have been occupied with restructuring the framework of the government and it is more work than anyone could comprehend.

"While it would have been beneficial for the government if we contribute in the efforts, they have enough hands to take care of that and it could potentially disrupt the system they have already created if we offered our services now. What we are going to focus on is more citizen-centric, particularly the places which have fallen victim to the exploits of the former Führer and his band of homunculus.

"I have come to realise that this is a job only ourselves can lead as all of us in this room have succinct knowledge regarding the underground workings of the military before that fateful day. We are the ones in position to prevent any and all information leak to the general populace lest we want to create an idea that may potentially resemble the one that Bradley and his kind have before. Another team similar to our position is General Mustang's team, but the Führer requests them to lead the efforts in the international relations of Amestris, starting particularly with Xing."

The colonel stayed silent for a while and let her subordinates take in the information. Riza looked to each one of the members of her team, analysing their reactions to her news. Sighing softly, she began to speak once more.

"I know that this is a difficult task to undertake, that what I am asking you is something that not anyone can do easily. If you have any apprehensions regarding the matter, you can let me know personally and we can sort something out. If you feel that you wouldn't be helpful in this team, we can ask to have you reassigned to another with my assurance that I or any member of the team will not take it as a personal affront."

It amazed Riza to see that each one of her new subordinates visibly swallowing their hesitation and hardening their resolve. Her new team turned to her with intensity in their eyes and Riza felt that rush of relief almost instantly. She met their eyes with equal fervour.

"As if we would pass up on this chance, Taisa," Rebecca nodded curtly. "I believe I speak for everyone else that you will have our full support."

"Aye, Ma'am," the rest of the team affirmed and the way they said it made Riza feel like she was General Armstrong for a moment.

Riza bowed her head slightly. "You have my thanks."

Maria Ross looked up at her. "Where shall be our first project, Hawkeye-Taisa?"

"Ishval."

* * *

It was an hour before Madame Christmas' bar opened for the evening. Her bar had been revamped and reopened after the events of Promised Day, so intelligence was flowing in and out at constant rate. However, nothing was of note since everyone was busy with the rehabilitation of the country, so the bar served as a bar.

Even with the closed sign flipped for the people outside to see, Rebecca Catalina strolled in and made herself feel at home at the main bar. Madame Christmas served Rebecca her favoured drink and the newly minted Major smiled at the Madame before taking a gulp.

"Didn't take long before you have this ol' place up and running again, eh, Madame?" the brunette commented in amusement.

Madame Christmas smirked. "Xing is a boring place for a business such as mine, Becky. You know that. How is your move to Central so far?"

Rebecca waved her hand. "It's daunting but I've mostly settled. Just a few minor details to take care of but nothing too important. So, what's new?"

"Just a few things here and there, nothing too extravagant or significant. Shall I subscribe you to our daily drink digest?" Christmas offered, sensing the brunette's mission. _Shall I provide information for you as well?_

Rebecca grinned stealthily. "Elizabeth-chan would be extremely grateful for it, Madame. You have our thanks."

The older woman shrugged her thanks off, saying it was what family does anyway, and Rebecca felt her stomach flip at the thought. Maybe Central wasn't too daunting like she had thought. Besides, there were people like Madame Christmas who offered refuge to select people like her…and of course, there was her best friend as well. Speaking of said blonde…

"I think Elizabeth-chan would appreciate something else outside of work," Christmas hummed, pointing to the patron who sat himself in the corner with a solitary glass of whiskey on the rocks.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise to her that Madame Christmas knew of the current affairs surrounding their workplace, but Rebecca took a few more moments before she spoke lowly. "How long has he been like that?"

"Close to an hour now. He downed three glasses before that but he's mostly staring at the wall in silence now. I'd really appreciate it if you talked to him. I'd call for Elizabeth-chan but I have a hunch she's what's causing him to be this way," the Madame mused softly.

Rolling her eyes, Rebecca stood and grabbed her drink to walk over to Roy Mustang. "He's so pathetic."

Madame Christmas could only hum in agreement.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else right now, flame boy?" Rebecca asked as she sat down in front of the Flame alchemist. She took a sip from her drink as she watched Roy snap out from his internal suffering.

At first, Roy was puzzled at her question. It took him a few moments to realise what the woman before her had asked him. He shook his head no and sighed heavily. "I can't go there just yet."

"And why is that, Mustang?" she asked, a little bit annoyed.

Roy pursed his lips from the way Rebecca lacks respect when she addressed him but he let it go. It wasn't important. "Because I don't have a plan yet."

Blinking, Rebecca looked at him as if he grew a second head and then let out a boisterous, mirthless laugh. "Good heavens, Mustang. You are so helpless, it's pitiful. And last time I checked, it's not even raining outside. Do we have to add that to the list of times when you're so useless?"

The general glared at the female major and huffed. "You know, if you're just here to insult me, you can leave. I'm not in the mood to banter with you, Catalina."

"Oi, oi. Such foul mood and sour for a known sweet-talker to the ladies, Mustang," she crooned before she turned serious. "I'm here to talk with you seriously. I just needed to let the insults out."

"Tch."

She rolled her eyes once more. "I am serious, flame boy."

"Whatever, harpy," he grumbled.

Rebecca smirked and finished her drink. "I'll let that slide today."

Clenching and unclenching his fist, Roy looked up at the brunette before him, wondering how Riza could stomach being friends with her. "So, what is it that you want to talk about, Catalina?"

"You already know what, Mustang," she said, tapping her finger on the table. "Or shall I say _who_?"

Roy sat back on his chair. "Am I going to get the 'you're not good enough for her' speech or something of the kind?" he asked suspiciously.

Snorting, Rebecca cleared her throat. "Nothing of the sort. Look, if you're looking for a sign to go to her, take this as the one."

"I already told you, I can't—"

"And why is that? Telling me that you don't have a plan doesn't count anymore because that's just a pathetic excuse for your cowardly arse."

Roy's fists clenched once more and he felt his teeth grit. "Fine. I'm a coward. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Shrugging, she looked him dead in the eye. "Many times before but now is not the time, Mustang. What the heck are you so afraid of?"

His gaze fell to the side and he dejectedly let out a breath. "I don't know."

"Tch. You don't know?" Rebecca queried. "You must be a bigger idiot than I assumed, Mustang."

He glared at her once more. "Easy for you to say. You're not in our situation."

"And what situation is that, flame boy? All these years you've been dancing around each other because you don't want to risk everything the both of you have worked for. Now that you have the opportunity to expand on that, you start to chicken out?" she asked.

His threshold for her insults has reached his peak and he was now visibly agitated at the woman before him.

"Because I don't want to mess it up, okay?!" he seethed, voice lowered to a whisper so as not to alarm the other occupants of the bar. "It's the first time that she has been out of my command and you know what I realised? That she can do so much more than she has ever been doing under me…that she has the potential to run free now. If I don't play my cards right, I can very well lose her forever."

Rebecca's face soured at his words. "I am insulted for my best friend, Roy Mustang. Clearly, you don't understand her that well if that is how lowly you think of her."

"What the hell do you mean, Catalina?! I would never think lowly of the Colonel," Roy breathed agitatedly.

"Then why the hell would you take her loyalty to you as something feeble and easy to break, Mustang?! Need I remind you of what happened that day?! Because I will and I'll do it now. She pointed a gun to your back when you started straying from the path you told her you were going to take…even though it killed her to do so, even though she has nightmares just from it," she countered, stunning the general.

"I don't ever pretend that I will ever understand whatever it is that you two have between you, Mustang. And I certainly don't pretend that her friendship with me will ever be on the same ground as yours and hers. Riza saw you and accepted you at your worst. She remained loyal, placing complete trust in you and continues to do so come hell or high water. I doubt she'll start distancing anytime soon just because you were being stupid over something you shouldn't probably even worrying your puny mind over."

When Roy remained unspeaking, Rebecca continued but her anger has dissipated now. "Look, you have been through war and back, became one of the heroes alongside her who saved the land. It's time to get your shit together and go to her. You finally, _finally_ have the chance to define everything between the two of you and you've spent the majority of that time so far by moping around and being pathetic.

"Honestly, it's a tad bit selfish. If I knew Riza, I can most likely say that she is worrying over your behaviour thus far and will blame herself for accepting the promotion because she sees that it's giving you a difficult time. The person whom I know she expected to take it in stride and be genuinely happy for her is sitting in a bar away from her, instead of celebrating with her."

The female major saw his face contort into something like guilt or remorse but she wasn't sure what it was exactly. All she knew is that she got her point through his thick skull and he was now starting to comprehend the reality of everything happening at the moment.

"I…I need to go," he said, standing up abruptly and letting himself out of the bar.

Rebecca watched his back as he walked in a hurry, hopefully towards where Riza was. The brunette snatched his untouched drink and downed it all in one go, the heated conversation earlier catching up to her and making her feel exhausted. A small smirk formed on her lips, though, and she could only imagine the conversation that would take place later between a certain black-haired general and a certain blonde colonel.

"Good luck, flame boy," she whispered to the glass upon her lips before she turned to the bar and ordered another drink to start celebrating her first weekend in Central.

* * *

 **A/N:** For the purposes of this story, I took the liberty of Riza spearheading the Ishval restoration, instead of Roy. I hope that isn't too disappointing of a change! Again, thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Holy crap. This dragged on far longer than I really intended. Too many plot bunnies popped up as I was writing the piece so blame them! I hope it wouldn't be a tedious chapter to read. (It's full of RoyAi so I guess it won't be _that_ tedious?). Again, thank you for the views and follows! I would be grateful if you let me know what you think. x

* * *

Riza was thankful that her team's commitment to their goal was solid and fierce. After introducing her ideas of Ishval's restoration, they had gone on to discuss both major and minor details further, which occupied the rest of their morning.

Rebecca had cornered her to have lunch with her and Maria in the mess hall so her initial plan of checking up on Roy during midday was unknowingly thwarted by her subordinates. When they had arrived, the Colonel spotted no traces of the Brigadier General nor his team.

She had then reached the conclusion that they were having a working lunch, a common occurrence when she was away from the office before. The team was no doubt undergoing a difficult transition phase without her breathing down their necks to fulfil the work they needed to accomplish. It was going to be a long journey ahead of Team Mustang but she was sure they would tough it all out.

The evening found Hawkeye working on the documents that she had brought home after her team's discussion and initial planning. She had sent Brosh, Heinkel, and Darius that afternoon to tap on people whose expertise they needed in order to aid the re-establishment of Ishval.

Riza found it calming to go through their reports that evening, the ingredients of her would-have-been dinner lay forgotten on the kitchen counter. Finding that the mundane task will leave her alone with her thoughts, she decided to forgo dinner since it will no doubt force her to think about things she couldn't face just yet…such as Roy and his words earlier, along with his behaviour since she broke the news of her reassignment following her rank promotion.

The small stack of papers was doing a great job in putting her mind away from things she can't indulge in just yet. To say that her mind was feeling a myriad of emotions was an understatement. There was a flurry of feelings that threatened to break out from their hypothetical box in her mind. She needed the distraction of work to keep them at bay.

However, she knew she couldn't run away from them forever. Riza understood that, eventually, she would have to confront Roy about their relationship if he does not do it first. Shaking her head, she took a pen and began to plot out the framework of their mission.

The Colonel was far too engrossed in her work that the knocking on her door made her jump slightly. For a trained soldier hardened by war and battle, she reprimanded herself silently for letting her guard down even though she was inside her home. Sighing, she grabbed her loaded pistol and poised to release the gun's safety.

"Who's there?" she asked, her voice firm as she approached her door.

What she didn't expect was that all-too familiar voice, which she had witnessed mature from its croaky pubertal quality to its manly gruff characteristic, that responded to her question. "It's me."

Her usually steady hand faltered on their place around her gun and she ceased her aim, setting the weapon down on the counter. Riza couldn't understand why she was nervous all of a sudden since this wasn't an uncommon thing to happen. Roy usually drops by her residence unannounced, and this has been going on for years now.

She could almost feel the spectating silence from the other side of the door before his voice broke it once more. "Taisa?"

Swallowing her emotions, she steeled her face a little and then opened the door. "Junshou. What brings you here tonight?"

Try as she might, she couldn't read the expression in his face. It annoyed the colonel because she usually has it spot on, whatever emotion he has or whatever thought he may be running in his mind. It was why they communicated effectively even through silence. They know each other well enough and long enough to have precise deductions regarding the other.

However, this was a side to them both that they have not shown to each other. Or maybe they have, just that this facet to their personality has long been slumbering underneath every misfortune that they had to go through thus far. Riza could almost taste the irony of the situation on her tongue. What she didn't know, however, was that he was in the same state of struggle as she was.

Roy blinked and then shifted her gaze from her face to the side frame of her doorway. In his silence, he slapped himself and swallowed his spinelessness as if it were an unpleasant pill rammed down his throat. Vaguely, he remembers Catalina's annoying voice telling him he was so selfish for being such a coward. Willing to not waste any more time, Roy cleared his throat.

"May I talk with you, Taisa?" he asked, finally gaining the nerve to look at her straight.

Riza nodded silently and stepped away from the door, a silent invite for him to come and make himself at home. Roy was pleased that he could at least understand that, and he made his way to her sofa where Hayate was lounging with his favoured chew toy.

The Brigadier General didn't need to look into the kitchen to know that Riza was preparing tea for them and probably using it as a diversion to gather her thoughts. He couldn't blame her, though, so he let her be for now and instead went on to give Black Hayate a tender, affectionate scratching.

After a few minutes of mildly uncomfortable silence, the whistle of the kettle blew as if it were an alarm to signify that their period of contemplation was over and it was now time to face whatever it was that they were avoiding both consciously and subconsciously.

Roy watched Riza as she gracefully set down the tray containing their tea, like she always does whenever he comes over to her place. He offered her a small smile of gratitude to which she nodded, before taking a cup and revelling in the warmth that the polished porcelain offers.

Riza was the one to break their silence. "You mentioned a conversation, Junshou?"

"Roy…"

"What?"

"I request for you to call me by my name. I hardly think we need any more of this farce of a formality between us especially now…"

The blonde colonel pursed her lips. "Likewise, then."

Roy hummed briskly before he downed all the contents of his cup in one go, paying no heed to the possibly-scalding heat of the liquid passing through his throat. He had suffered far worse burns than that in the past. Sighing heavily, he set the cup back to the tray and clenched his fists hard while he gritted his teeth, eyes looking down to the floor.

"Damn it. Why are we this way, Riza?" he asked harshly, but his voice was not more than a whisper. "For the longest time, it seems that whatever divine power out there brings us together even if we part, whether it be a short or a long duration. We've known each other for the longest time but we can't even sort _this_ out."

His eyes closed after his outburst, and the flame alchemist didn't see the frown on her face, nor did he see the way she uncomfortably shifted on her seat before she stood up and knelt in front of him. He felt her hands on his fists, and they were gentle despite the horrors they caused. "It's because we're gluttons for punishment, Roy-kun, and we're also stubborn creatures of habit."

 _Roy-kun_. It has been more than just a decade since she last called him that. Hearing his name upon her lips after so long a time released some of the tension he was feeling that his fists loosened so that he could take her hands in his. While he was overjoyed that she acquiesced with his request, he listened as she spoke once more.

Riza ignored the warmth that his hands emanated for now. "I think we both hoped that we could resolve this with silence, like we do most things. And that…and that we will endure it no matter how long it takes if it meant not using words but—"

"But this is something else, something we need to actually talk about…" he murmured, finishing her thought for her.

"I believe so," she sighed.

Roy chuckled bitterly before he composed himself. "So what now?"

"Now," Riza started gently. "We are of liberty to do anything as we please."

Closing his eyes for a few seconds once more, the flame alchemist took a huge gulp of air before he slid from the sofa to join Riza as she knelt on the floor. He let his chocolate-coloured eyes to look directly into her honeyed orbs, fixing his serious gaze.

"Then…allow me to marry you."

One second turned to two, two turned to three until the longest hand of the clock struck eleven times after Roy voiced his proposition. For the man, however, it seemed like those seconds were actually days, weeks even.

Riza wasn't doing much better. She felt all air become constricted in her throat and she swayed lightly because of it. For the few moments that she was silent, she was sure her face mirrored her shock perfectly with her jaw slackened and her eyes wider than they usually are. There was no way she could have misheard him, though.

"…What?" she squeaked, her throat loosening some of the air in order for her to utilize. Riza looked from side to side before they settled on their twined hands but even that was a little too much to look at. So, her gaze settled on her lap.

Beads of cold sweat immediately formed on the alchemist's temples while his whole body couldn't decide whether it felt far too warm or far too cold. Certainly, it wasn't the reaction he had expected from her. Then again, he wasn't exactly expecting to be carried by his emotions enough to propose to her like that. Roy smacked himself mentally but he knew there was no going back now.

His mind began to run wildly and the barrier between his brain and mouth dissolved, causing him to ramble. "Un-Unless of course it's something you don't want to do and I would perfectly understand that. It was foo-foolish of me to-to…t-to spring that to you all of a sudden and—"

"Roy, shut up."

His eyebrows knotted and he gulped down, daring to look at her. Even if her head were bowed down, Roy could see the small smile that threatened to expand. The brigadier general felt her hands squeeze him and it was more than enough to convey her response to his proposal. He squeezed her hands in return.

Roy felt all the previous tension finally leave his body, being replaced by an overwhelming sensation. His teeth ground against each other and his lips quivered as he struggled to keep it all together. Unfortunately, his restraint has its limits and while he didn't wish to, he surrendered himself to his sentiments.

A laugh escaped him and he tumbled forward as his control gave out. His face fell into their entwined hands and he sniffed, clutching her tighter. Roy could not bring himself to care if he looked pathetic at the moment. What matters now was that they've irreversibly torn the barriers between them.

Riza could only watch as he struggled to contain himself, only to give in when it looked like it physically hurt for him to control whatever it was that wished to take over him. She was confused for a moment before she felt her hands get wet. A gentle smile then formed on her lips as she watched him rise from his position.

When she saw his face again, she huffed out a breath and allowed herself to shed tears after years of not permitting herself of doing so. However, they weren't caused by anger, guilt, or grief. In fact, she felt her chest ease even though her heartbeat raced.

"Rain could be a good thing, too, huh?" she queried softly.

The flame alchemist clicked his tongue and then chuckled as he wiped his eyes. His gaiety was cut short by acid threatening to spill from his mouth. Roy's whole body lurched and his face winced slightly as he kept the sour liquid from rising from his stomach.

At first, Riza was worried but then the symptoms he was displaying at the moment were familiar. She sighed in annoyance and shook her head. Way to ruin a moment… Standing up, she helped her now-fiancé to his feet and lead him to the bathroom so he could empty his stomach.

"You're an idiot for thinking your stomach can handle alcohol without food," she mumbled, unable to resist lecturing him. "How much did you have?"

"Not important," he grunted out before his face met the hollow porcelain bowl. Roy sighed in relief after letting it all out, finding Riza's hand patting his back comforting like always.

The colonel handed him a glass of water to drink. "Let's get you to bed. Take a nap and I'll fix us something for dinner."

Roy squeezed her hand in thanks as he laid down on her bed. "You're always taking care of me. When will I ever get to take care of you?"

"We have a lifetime ahead to figure out. Although if it were just me, I think you've been taking care of me since you fixed my scraped knees when we run down the hill during that one summer. D'you remember? It was the first time I injured myself without my mother to patch me up. For a moment, I thought I was going to bleed to death because of the old wives' tales about germs and infections. Thankfully that didn't happen because you cleaned the wound and dressed it properly…

"I get the same feeling every time you've protect me during our heists in the past years…that familiar feeling of being completely secure," she explained.

Roy felt a pleasant pinch on his chest at her words. "I'm glad."

"Sleep for a while, Roy-kun," she said softly, laying a hand on his cheek. "I'll wake you up later."

* * *

She sits awhile beside him on the bed, just content in watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. Her eyes were soft as his breaths currently were and a small smile was affixed to her lips as if she were always used to showing her mellow side to anyone (but him) for prolonged periods of time.

Riza had finished making food for them both and chose to spend the quiet to appreciate the man laying down on her bed. It was a sight that seemed so farfetched but what she sees now is indicative of its reality. Leaning a little, she placed a hand on his shoulder to nudge him gently awake. She couldn't help but appreciate the strong muscles there while they were in contact.

Roy groaned awake, though he felt much better now than half an hour before. He blinked the sleep from his eyes away before sitting up and rubbing them with care. Taking a moment to look at Riza, he grinned lopsidedly. "You're a sight I wouldn't mind waking up to every morning."

A bit of warmth flooded her cheeks at his words. Riza smiled, her next words of warning light and playful. "I appreciate your silver tongue, Mr. Mustang, but don't think you're safe from a berating regarding your drinking session earlier."

Pouting, Roy narrowed his eyes. "I already learned my lesson through spewing my guts into your toilet. Shouldn't that be enough?"

Riza harrumphed and stood, making her way to the kitchen. She felt Roy got up to his feet and follow him. Setting the hearty noodle soup that she made them on the centre coaster, she instructed Roy to set the table and made herself comfortable on her chair. The couple said their pleasantries and tuck into their food.

"How was your first day as a commanding officer?" he asked, duly curious. Save for their interaction that morning, they didn't have the chance to speak to each other once more throughout the day.

"Productive," she replied, slurping on her spoon gracefully. "I have Rebecca, Ross, Brosh, Heinkel, and Darius under me. It was easier than I had expected it to be especially with encouraging their participation for our unit's mission."

Roy stopped his eating and had his attention fully dedicated to her. "Which is?"

"To lead the Ishval restoration."

A chill went up his spine and Roy couldn't place whether it was good or bad. Revisiting Ishval was sure to be an ordeal difficult for everyone involved during that so-called war but he knew that it would be harder for her…she who actually saw the faces of the people she killed through the scope of her rifle.

Then again, Roy was sure Riza would accomplish this mission she had chosen just like she had accomplished any mission he had assigned to her in the past. His mind went back to the conversation they had when he saw her burying the remains of an Ishvalan child.

Her grief and regret over what she had done still haunted her to this day, he knew. And the look she had at that moment haunted him, in turn. Then again, the pair of them knew that they needed to move forward, but not to forget. Roy understood that this was Riza wanting to at least contribute something positive to the future of the land and its people, since she cannot change the past.

"Once again, you never fail to astound me, Riza," he said softly, taking her hand. "My unit and I will be fully supporting you and yours, and we shall offer our services…however useful we may be."

Riza smiled, remembering the words her grandfather told her a couple of days ago. _He will be your greatest support just as you are his._ Loathe as she is to admit, her grandfather was right in that aspect (and probably so many others but she was too stubborn to accept them). "Thank you, Roy-kun."

Their dinner went by quickly over conversations of her team's initial plans regarding Ishval, and Riza was thankful that he could pick his brain for another input. Roy offered to wash the dishes and she let him, popping into the shower to get ready for the night. After cleaning up the kitchen, the two stumbled upon their first disagreement. As a couple, at least.

Roy had insisted to go home not wanting to impose and overstay his welcome.

"Out of the question," Riza said as she dried her hair with an electric fan. "Your stomach could act up again in the middle of the night and I know you well enough that you'd just sleep it off."

The flame alchemist clicked his tongue and crossed his arms. "I am a grown man. I can take care of myself if the situation calls for it."

The colonel snorted and rolled her amber-hued eyes. "Hardly. You couldn't even stop yourself from downing three glasses of whiskey with no food in your stomach."

"That's cheating."

"Tch. Cheating? You're being childish, Roy."

Glaring at her, Roy was about to retort but she cut him off with a raised hand and a smirk.

"What are you so hesitant about staying the night?"

He kept his glare, though he did loosen up a bit. "Like I said, I just didn't want to impose and overstay my welcome?"

"Impose? Overstay your welcome?" Riza repeated snarkily, a chuckle escaping her lips. "Aren't we to be married? I was under the illusion that such words were now inapplicable given the shift in our relationship. Or do correct me if I am wrong."

"We **_are_** to be married…which is why it might be best if you take whatever individual time you can now before we commit to the irreversible," he reasoned, conviction in his words.

Riza smirked and it irked Roy that she seemed to be enjoying their banter. It might as well be a sure-fire sign that she has the upper hand at the moment and whatever he would state as his argument would easily be watered down by her own.

She shut the fan off and went over to him, stopping when they were only mere inches apart from each other. "I think we've already had far too much individual time over the past decade and a half or so."

Try as he might, Roy could just not refute her statement. All sense of chivalry and being a gentleman flew out of the window now, making him just nod and concede to her wishes.

Riza clapped her hands gleefully, something she had not done since she was a child. It seemed that their rekindled bond was bringing out all sorts of repressed habits that they used to show around each other. Roy couldn't help but find her very endearing.

"Great. I'll go ready your emergency clothes so you can now have the bathroom," she grinned.

Sighing, the flame alchemist rubbed the back of his neck. "Mattaku, you still enjoy getting the better of me."

"Hm, yes. I do take pride in being the only one able to make you uncomfortable."

Roy smirked and turned back to look at her. "Your grandpa does that quite well, too."

"One of the two, then. It's a Grumman thing," she shrugged. "Now, go."

As expected, there was a fresh batch of clothes that awaited Roy once he got out of the shower. He fiddled around for the bag of toiletries that Riza kept there for him and brushed his teeth in leisure. In doing that routine, he couldn't help but think how much they acted as a couple even before.

It really was no wonder why they could transition from basically nothing to being betrothed with each other. They had always been essential to each other no matter the circumstance. Sure, they had to go through innumerable near-death experiences but they just come back as a team stronger after every dire ordeal.

He was a fool if he didn't make himself her husband after everything they had to endure. Just the thought of an imaginary man laying his eyes on her made his stomach turn and his chest rage with anger. Good thing there were people like her grandfather and her best friend who were relentless in pushing him towards the right direction. Hughes would have been similar had he not…

Shaking his thoughts away, he splashed cool water into his face and breathed into his palms before leaving the confines of her quaint, purposeful bathroom. Roy smiled as Hayate yipped and went on his hind legs when the flame alchemist emerged from the bathroom. He leaned down and patted his furry head.

"Good night, boy," he mumbled affectionately to the Shiba Inu, watching as Black Hayate turned and set himself down on his favoured blanket.

The brigadier general ran a hand through his hair and walked to Riza's bedroom door. He contemplated whether to knock or just leave her be at the moment. However, he arrived at the conclusion that it would be extremely rude and ungrateful to not wish her a good night.

Knocking thrice on the hard wood, he leaned close to the door. As he was about to utter the words, he felt a rush of wind as the blue-painted wood swung open to reveal his fiancée in her pyjamas: a shirt that hugged her figure and loose cotton pants.

"I was just going to wish you good night, Riza," he said with a fond smile. "And ask where the extra blankets are."

Her two brows met at the centre briefly before her eyes widened. "You can't comfortably fit the sofa, Roy."

"Then I'll sleep on the floor."

Riza wouldn't have it. "Nonsense. Your stomach might not be the only one hurting when you wake up tomorrow."

This time, it was he who rolled his eyes. "I'm a soldier. I have been through worse sleeping conditions than your carpeted floor."

"Yes, but the situation doesn't exactly warrant you to have a less than mediocre sleeping condition. If anything, it's the opposite," the colonel rebutted. "By all means, have the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."

His face contorted to displeasure at her suggestion. "I don't exactly feel comfortable robbing you of your bed."

"Then let's both sleep on the bed."

Roy blinked and then stammered. "What? I—Riza, no. I can't—we can't do that…"

Her perfectly shaped brow rose from its usual position. "And why is that?"

A pinkish tint coloured the man's cheek. "Because it's not proper?"

Riza's brow remained perfectly in place on its high arch. "Try saying that again and do sound convincing this time."

" _Riza_ …"

"Roy."

The alchemist scratched the back of his head. "Look, I appreciate it. I really do. It's just not…you know…gentleman of me to do so."

"Oh, for goodness sake, Roy," she started in slight annoyance. "It's not like we haven't shared bedspace before."

"But that's different. That was because we had no choice and were under strict military regulations," he reasoned.

Riza sighed exasperation. "I don't see why you're having problems with this, Roy. It's not like you're going to take advantage of me while I'm sleeping. Else, I swear I sleep with a gun—"

"No, of course not! I don't have a death wish."

She cocked her head to the side. "Then what is it? Tell me why you're so repulsed by the idea of sharing sleeping space with us in close proximity."

Frowning, he shook his head then looked at her. "I honestly can't think of any reason aside from the fact that it would not be expected of a man with proper manners. I mean, we aren't married yet and I don't wish to cross boundaries, subsequently making you uncomfortable. The last thing I'd wish is for me to unknowingly disrespect you."

Her eyes softened their expressions and the admiration for the man before her grew, which surprised her because she has already admired him greatly. Riza took his hand and squeezed it.

"You know, I am always grateful that you're very courteous towards me and that you think of your boundaries first before doing something which concerns me, Roy-kun," she said gently. "I greatly respect your chivalry regarding this, I do. So, I am not going to push you to do something you believe will compromise your general outlook. However, I cannot rest easy when I know you'll be sleeping in discomfort."

Thoroughly relieved, Roy smiled. He didn't know how she could be such an understanding creature no matter the circumstance. Riza has a pure and tender heart, and he felt extremely happy to have her as his partner in more ways than one.

"I almost regret making you stay the night," she said morosely, a frown upon her beautiful face. "I should have—"

"Please don't," he murmured, his thumb drawing circles on the skin of her hand. "I am happy to stay the night. In all honesty, I didn't wish to leave. I just felt it right to excuse myself for the night," the alchemist explained.

Looking up at him, the colonel offered her fiancé a warm smile. "Thank you for your honesty, Roy-kun. I'd appreciate it if you'd be candid with me as I plan on doing the same with you."

"I shall take note of that," he promised. "Shall we plan out a compromise then?"

It took them a few minutes more of banter before Roy dug out a sleeping bag from one of Riza's highly organized closets, the one dedicated to military ensemble and accessories. He would be sleeping in the bag but with added cushion of several layers of duvets, upon Riza's insistence.

The darkness almost consumed her quaint bedroom, with the window allowing the slivers of moonlight to faintly illuminate their shared space. Roy slowly let out a deep breath. The brigadier general was sleepy yet his mind raced as it recalled the happenings of the day. It was such a whirlwind to go through but he wouldn't have had it any other way.

Riza shifted on her bed, going from her back to resting on her side and edging towards the end of her bed. Her gaze fell on the man who rested underneath her sleeping bag. In silence, she retraced the lengthy journey that they took to get to this point. The recall brought both a smile to her lips and tears to her eyes.

The pair of them have been through so much and the life ahead of them promised a more exciting voyage. Riza was not naïve to think that it will be an excursion without pitfalls and hazards but maybe, just maybe Grandpa was right. _It will be worth it._

"Give yourself a rest, Riza. I can almost feel your mind turning its gears," she heard him say before she felt a hand clamber blindly on the edge. Riza took it and brought it close to her face.

"Sorry. Good night, Roy-kun."

"Good night, Tiny Rizi," he responded, making use of the nickname Grumman used to call her when she was a child.

"Call me that again and I'll put a bullet between your eyes."

"Aye, Ma'am."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Another RoyAi fluff filled chapter. I hope it's not too tedious of a story so far. Things will pick up soon, I promise!

* * *

With much work consuming her usual days (and her penchant for not taking days off), Riza finds herself sleeping without waking up in the middle of the night due to a nightmare. That first night with Roy inside her bedroom was one of such nights and she was thankful for it since she didn't wish to bother him with her sleep terrors.

The same could be said for the brigadier general sleeping just a foot away from her bed, it seemed. She wasn't sure if he still had nightmares but she could allude his restful sleep to his predicament and the overwhelming emotion they shared the night before.

Riza was likewise grateful for the early rays of the sunshine that penetrated her window as it aided her in watching Roy as he slept. The colonel was unconscious of the tender look in her eyes and the soft smile her lips bore. The blonde soldier clutched his hand a last time before she laid it down to his side, feeling bad that she monopolized it while they slumbered.

She took one last look at Roy's sleeping form and a warmth on her chest made itself known. Turning on her heel, she pressed a finger to her lips to shush Black Hayate before he even started to greet her with a yip. Riza picked up her beloved pet and snuggled with him for a while before she took him to the kitchen and poured his food into his bowl.

As soon as she washed her hands, she set on to make breakfast for her and her fiancé. _Fiancé._ It was such an odd moniker to use to refer Roy. He had been _Taisa_ and _Junshou_ to her for the longest time that something personal was a little challenging to swallow.

For a moment, she wished to revert back to how they were last night when they let their emotions run the course of their actions, but she knew it wasn't always logical to do that. After all, they still need to keep appearances during work. The fraternization law might not cover them anymore but it would serve them well to not push their limits.

Hawkeye was far too indulged in making waffles and coffee while planning hers and Roy's maneuver in the office, that she missed the sound of her bedroom door opening. She was, however, pulled out of her reverie when Black Hayate rushed to the newly roused brigadier general to revel in some of his affection, to which the pup was indulged in.

"Good morning," he said gruffly, voice rougher than usual with his throat still parched from sleep.

Riza turned and smiled at him kindly. "Good morning. Wash your hands before you take a seat."

"Aye, Ma'am," he hummed, going to do as he was told. Roy hummed a thanks to his fiancée when she laid a glass of water before him.

"Sleep well?" she queried, setting the stack of waffles and fruit in between them on the table.

Roy set to pour coffee from the pot for them both and stirred two sugar cubes into Riza's, just the way she takes it. "Yeah. My stomach acted up at around four in the morning but I took the medicine you had waiting on the counter so you don't have to worry about that."

"No coffee for you, then," she said, standing up to put away his cup before he could even pour the black liquid into them.

He narrowed his eyes and pouted at his fiancée but made no move to contradict her since he didn't wish to spark her irk so early in the morning. Roy sighed and shrugged instead. "How about you? Did you sleep well?"

Riza reclaimed her chair and crossed her legs underneath the table. "I did, thanks," she said, eyes turning to look at the empty plate before her.

The black-haired man eyed her curiously. "Is something the matter, Riza?"

She shook her head and blushed, a little startled that he could read her so well. "Nothing wrong. I just can't believe that last night happened."

"Well, is that a good disbelief or a bad one?" he asked slowly.

Amber eyes met his obsidian-coloured ones. "It's a good one, Roy-kun."

Roy blinked and smiled awkwardly instead of releasing a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear, Riza. It has been a long time coming, hasn't it? At least for me it is…"

Her brows cocked swiftly before she angled her head sideways in a curious manner, urging Roy to explain what he had meant.

The brigadier general cleared his throat and blushed a little, palms sweating a bit. His eyes misted as he recalled the snippets of their life that led to where they were now. Roy smiled softly and then shrugged.

"I just felt that I wouldn't ever get this chance with you, you know?" he whispered, fiddling with the fork to his right. "It had been a fanciful dream for so long, and I was set on believing it will never happen even though my heart wants me to believe that maybe one day we'll get here. If not in this lifetime, then the next.

"You have meant so much to me for the longest time; you were my first friend. I was picked on by a lot of kids before I came to Hawkeye manor because they found my eyes too tiny and plain. They said I wasn't really an Amestrian, and while that is true, it stung the child me that they rejected my offer of friendship.

"But you didn't seem to mind that my skin color was a little different or that my eyes weren't round enough. You even defended me from the neighbours we had back then when they called me an alien from the East," Roy chuckled mirthlessly, shaking his head, before he continued. "I guess as early as then you've wormed your way under my skin, never to leave.

"When I left for the military, I had no regrets but leaving you with Sensei. I know how sad it made you and I hated making you sad. Growing up, I always tried to make you smile by goofing off and being silly. Those memories of ours were the ones that kept me sane during the academy, honestly. I made it a point that I would come see you when I get out but the times shifted then and ambition clouded my mind.

"I…I always feel ashamed when I remember talking with you before Sensei's gravestone. Telling you all about my naïve dreams in hopes of procuring what Sensei left. I manipulated you then, and I regret doing that now. For whatever reason that the universe had for making us meet in Ishval, I was grateful then because I thought to myself I that I would finally have the chance to apologise and make it right.

"Somehow that was pushed back once more when you asked me the favour," he said, gaze shifting down to his plate. It was one of the worst moments in his life thus far, and it was up there right next to Riza having her neck slashed. Swallowing, Roy took a few breaths. "I know you asked me for that but I still regret hurting you. I could have found a better way to rid you of it but I didn't so I promised myself that I will just make it up to you all the more.

"I was close to begging the council to have you under my command but thankfully, they randomly assigned you to me and we've been together since. All that business about protecting my back was just a ploy so I could keep you close to me and sneak in chances to rectify the disappointments I caused you.

"I'm sorry if I placed a heavy burden upon your shoulders. I certainly didn't expect you to be so fiercely loyal after everything I had done to you. I made you sad by leaving the manor. I broke your trust by using the alchemy you shared with me to murder people.

"My head can't comprehend why such a woman as yourself would waste her time on me and risk her life for me day in and day out. The support you have for me is the sole reason why I am driven to achieve my goal, Riza. You go far beyond and do more than what is asked. You've saved my life countless times in more ways than one.

"There are days when I question what I do, and then I just look at you. I see how hard you work, how dedicated you are to me and my goal, and then the doubt goes away. I think, then, that maybe if you remain with me, I'll be able to do it…because I can't do it without you. And I can't give up on my goal because if I do so, I know I would disappoint you again. And damn it all, I don't want to do that anymore.

"Ever since I left the manor, I kept on telling myself that I will do whatever it takes to make you happy but somehow I end up doing the opposite. But in the middle of everything, my tremendous care for you as my first and closest friend grew into something more.

"Try as I might, I couldn't stop it because it made me happy. It's such a selfish thing that I let happen but seeing as we are here now, I can't bring myself to regret it. You don't know how long I have yearned for something like this to happen. What I thought was impossible given our circumstances is happening now and it feels like a drug I can't help but be addicted to.

"I can properly make you happy now, and I **_will_**. I will make you so goddamn happy your heart will burst. I will make you happy to make up for every wrong I did, and when that's over, I will start all over again…

"…because you deserve it and because I love you, Riza," he said, looking up at her once more.

"I love you so much that it hurt that I couldn't tell or show you that before. But now I can and I will repeat it till you get tired of me and even then, I'll just keep on saying and showing it. Because it's true and will remain true even when this lifetime is over."

Riza didn't know how long she had held her breath as Roy spoke. Every word he uttered made her chest constrict all the more but she didn't mind that she couldn't breathe properly. The colonel wasn't sure whether it was the tender and amorous look in his eyes or the weight of the words that he said that swept her off.

She let out a shaky breath and took a few inhales to calm her respiration. Her hand trembled as it sought out his and she felt the need to feel his pulse when they were in contact. The gentle thump of his life against her fingers reinforced the reality of the situation that they were in at the moment. Her mind swirled for the few moments of silence but she gathered herself enough to return his sentiments.

Offering a watery smile, she spoke. "But you've always made me happy, Roy."

The blonde sniper looked briefly to the side before she let her gaze met his once more. "I don't regret anything that happened between us, especially now that we're here. I understood why you had to leave. I made the decision to let you in on the secret of my father's alchemy. And most of all, you didn't force me to guard your life. I could have easily removed myself from the situation but I didn't see the need to do that.

"I chose to trust you again because I felt that you're worth it. I went with gut feeling then and I am so, so glad that I did. You have proven yourself worthy of the promises you've told me. You gave my life purpose, Roy. I don't know where I would have ended up if you didn't arrive in my life on the moments that you did.

"Probably somewhere safe and mundane, and it would no doubt be not as worthwhile as what we went through. After Ishval, I considered it a saving grace that I was placed under your command because at least I knew my life in the military wouldn't be as daunting as I had perceived.

"And I know of those moments, I take note of them. Every time you tease me subtly or make a cocky joke…it reminded me of the silly faces you used to pull to cheer me up when I missed my Mother or when Father couldn't spare time to talk with me or even look at me.

"I know myself well enough that I have changed after Ishval, that I was toughened by the horrors I saw. However, in those little moments in the office, the late nights when we would slave over the paperwork…they reminded me to allow myself to feel happy. You reminded me that, despite everything I caused with these hands, I can still live my life.

"I'm humbled by your sentiments, Roy-kun. And I return them. I had not known warmth after my mother died but somehow, I ended up finding that within you. I can't ask for a better person to follow because you make it worth it. I would gladly go through everything again if it meant I would share the rest of my life with you," she ended with a whisper.

Overcome with emotion, Roy's lips quivered and he squeezed her hand. He stood from his chair and went around the table. The brigadier general knelt beside the colonel and he took her hand. "May I embrace you?"

Wordlessly, she gave her permission but she didn't wait for him. Instead she sunk down into him and made herself at home against his chest. Riza let her arms wound around his form and she sighed slowly, reveling in their first embrace after they hugged each other goodbye when he left the manor almost 15 years ago.

"You were with me in the best and worst days of my life and I can't imagine myself without you anymore. Please marry me," he whispered into her shoulder, eyes shut tight.

Roy felt his chest vibrate slightly at her chuckle.

"Roy, I already gave my 'yes' last night."

"No, I mean today. Let's do it today," he said, gently pulling them apart. "Just the two of us. We'll go to the registration office and have a civil ceremony."

Riza scanned his face but she found no signs of humour nor did she find his anticipation to deliver a punchline. Several thoughts ran through her mind and she blinked rapidly to clear her head. "B-but…the registry of the ceremony will no doubt be accessed by the military. We might be in hot water if we do that."

Surprisingly, he shook his head. "I know a minister who owes his life to me and he says he owes me a favour. This is the perfect favour, Riza. We'll keep this under wraps and then announce it when the time is right."

The highly logical part of her brain was screaming a solid 'no' but temptation was far too enticing to ignore. Swallowing deeply, Riza shut her eyes tight and grit her teeth. Groaning, she made a decision to follow her gut once more.

She could not count anymore the times when she let gut feeling make the decision when the man before her was concerned, but they always ended up somewhere good. One more time couldn't hurt. "All right."

The grin on Roy's face at that moment was the biggest she had ever seen, she thought silently. Shortly after, she found herself against his chest once more. Her mind may have defied logic once more but Riza was overcome with joy that she couldn't find it in her to care.

When the couple got down from their emotional high, they finally sat back down to enjoy their breakfast. It was a quiet affair between them, with occasional glances thrown in and the occasional giggle when one would catch the other staring.

"Right, then. I'll head down to the registry to settle matters. He'll most likely be available after office hours so 1800 hours is a good time to be at Madame's building," Roy said with a nod.

"What happened to keeping it between us?" she asked as she finished wiping the plates he handed her.

Roy wagged his hands and then took a few plies of paper towel. "The Madame will not know. I'll let the minister through the back door and up my bedroom. We'll do it there."

"If you say so," Riza hummed, taking his coat and helping Roy put it on. She fixed his collar and patted down the fabric. "Well, I'll see you later."

The flame alchemist wrapped his fiancée in a bear hug, drawing her in as close as possible. "I can't wait."

* * *

" _Grandfather_?! What are you doing here?!" Riza asked in surprise once she entered Roy's living quarters. Not much surprises the Hawk's Eye but apparently the persona of Charleston Grumman and Chris Mustang being present at their supposed very, very private wedding was one of the few.

The Führer of Amestris grinned cockily and scratched his chin to pretend to think. "Mm, let's see. Probably witness my beloved granddaughter get married?"

Riza didn't even mask the confusion on her face as she sought Roy's face. Her brow raised to question him without words regarding the scenario before her.

The man in question let out a nervous chuckle. "Ah, well… While Minister Harris owes me a favour, it seemed that he owes your grandfather an even bigger one so…"

"And I called up Madame Christmas because it is only right. And I couldn't help myself from sharing the good news!" the old man explained.

"Besides, you need witnesses for the ceremony to be officially honoured," Christmas shrugged.

The blonde colonel pinched the bridge of her nose to release the tension she gained from the surprise appearance of their family members. "I suppose it can't be helped. But word doesn't go beyond us five."

The ceremony was quick, not even taking half an hour. The papers needed were duly signed and then kept by the Führer in a highly secured suitcase to be filed away from public documents. Madame Christmas ushered the two elderly men out of Roy's bedroom to give the newlyweds privacy, offering drinks on the house.

Grumman made himself comfortable on the bar stool, serving Minister Harris his preferred drink. The old man clutched the briefcase containing the newlywed couple's marriage documents, and then eyed the man sideways. "I suppose I don't need to reiterate that importance of the secrecy, Minister."

"You can count on honour as the man whose life you saved in war once, Your Excellency," he replied reverently. "I can assure you this is a secret I shall guard with my life."

The Führer nodded and brought the glass of scotch to his lips, sipping the amber liquid. "And I also don't need to reiterate the consequences that will arise should an unfavourable situation happen."

"On my honour, Sir," he replied once more, solemnly and firmly.

"Good, because I don't take any chances when it comes to my granddaughter," Charleston Grumman stated seriously. "This period of restoration has been quiet so far but I won't be surprised if detractors and other illogical coups would suddenly surface. These people will no doubt target personnel they suspect are close to me. While Mustang and I are very careful regarding our personal meetings, we would rather take extra care when we move forward. If someone acts suspiciously towards you, I must oblige you to report it to me at once through our old correspondence."

Minister Harris nodded, procuring a piece of paper and a pen from the bar. He wrote down an address and details to a code for a secret network. "You can count on me for information as well, Führer—"

"Charles; we're old friends."

"Charles," Harris corrected himself. "My scope might not be as wide as the Madame Christmas' but I am sure you shall find it useful as well. I'm proposing a liaison between me and the Madame to consolidate our information gathering for easy triangulation, if need be."

Madame Christmas spoke from behind the counter. "No need for such an elaborate scheme. We can be at a need-to-know basis so we can prevent any and all information to be leaked out. I offer my residence as a rendezvous point, just holler. Right now, business is slow, but who knows if it will be the same in a month. Or a week even."

Harris nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Nevertheless, my men will be at your disposal as well, Madame Christmas."

"Thank you."

Grumman had an amused look in his eyes. "Well, this certainly is convenient. There has been a slight rumor mill going on regarding illegal opium trade in the West. I'd like for you to look into that, see what you can find. I say West but it's actually to the Northwest. However, I doubt Armstrong-shoushou will let anything tarnish the land of Briggs, so I suspect they operate more freely in the West."

Madame Christmas made a mental note of it. "I'll see if they have connections here in Central."

"And I will deploy some of my men to go undercover," Harris offered.

Christmas smirked at their conversation. "My, my… What a warm welcome back for me and my girls."

* * *

 **A/N:** I kinda want to write a young!RoyAi now, with my headcanons sprouting here and there! But I want to do justice for this fic first!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Taisa (Colonel), Junshou (Brigadier General), Nani (what), Jiji (grandpa/old man); just thought I'd clear that up since I always forget to include the translations! Another 'filler' chapter; I hope you can forgive me! We will probably be going back to the main plot (Ishval restoration, Roy's missions, etc) after the next chapter. I just thought I needed to expand more on the Mustangs' domesticity first before I write the plot-heavy ones. Thanks for reading my little fic, y'all! x

* * *

A mélange of various spices from lands near and far wafted from the kitchen to the rest of the apartment. Roy grinned satisfactorily at his culinary work, stirring the Xingese curry as it cooked in the pot. It was one of the few dishes he tries to create every now and then from the cookbook his late mother left in the box that was sent with him when he came to Madame's place.

After a day full of paperwork, Roy found cooking dinner to be relaxing. It was almost like the scientific, alchemical experiments that he did back when he was under Berthold Hawkeye's tutelage. The processes were fairly similar: reagents were ingredients, cooking styles were experimental methods, food created were items transmuted.

The brigadier general took a whiff of his creation before he set the fire on low. He turned on his heel to start putting away the ingredients he had used. He was about to hum to himself when he heard several gunshots firing behind him, making him drop the bag of cumin on the kitchen tiles. Good thing it was already tightly knotted.

He picked up the spice and then turned to the occupant of the dinner table with a slightly stunned look on his face. His wife didn't seem to notice. Closing his mouth, Roy observed Riza as she casually set the gun down before her and grabbed her pencil. It seemed that her eyes didn't even leave the paperwork before her. The Junshou looked sideways to see the target board that hung on the wall, three pellets perfectly embedded on the centre target. He shook his head and smirked. _So this is how she is when she's frustrated…_

"Oi—"

"Nani?!"

Roy blinked a few times at her reaction. He knew she was having a rough week thus far and he could sympathise. Her team had been encountering several issues with their mission. With most of the Central soldiers still recuperating following Promised Day, the manpower available for Riza's disposal is below her estimation. It entailed that she had to postpone 90% of their plans until more troops become available.

Moreover, she was having difficulty recruiting civilian support since the general populace of Central was a little iffy regarding socializing with the Ishvalans. After all, they had conflicting perspectives. There were about a third of a hundred who volunteered support for the restoration, but she deemed that number still insufficient.

And if that wasn't enough, her monthly period decided to show up bright and early on a Monday morning just a few minutes before they headed out for work. Roy didn't even know of her hormonal tendencies before since she hid them very well. Now that they were living together, however, he finds himself at the receiving end of her mood swings and general crankiness. Of course, he was wise enough not to show any trace of complaints.

"Water? Tea? Anything?"

"Nothing," Riza replied to him, short and clipped. Nevertheless, he poured her a cup of raspberry tea, something he noticed the girls in Madame Christmas drink religiously whenever they were visited by their monthly cycle. Silently, he thinks living with all those females _was_ beneficial in the long run.

Roy observed his wife in quiet as she angrily scribbled away on the papers she had on the oak table. The pencil she was using had gone from its original length to ¾ of its entirety as Riza wrote with such ferocity that she had broken the graphite several times already. The troublemaker in him wanted to humour her and make a snide remark about inanimate objects being the cause of her anger but her air gun was in front of her and was loaded with metal pellets. The brigadier general didn't wish to be a substitute for the target board she had by the window.

Still, it troubled him that he was at a loss on what to do. He wanted to comfort her, alleviate the stress she was feeling, but Roy was clueless how. It was his first time experiencing Riza this way on a more personal level. She was always stoic at work and afterwards, almost always schooling herself into that failsafe poker face. Then again, he knew he had to try and be a good husband especially now when everything seemed to put a strain on her. _And it was only Wednesday._

It has been almost three days since he first saw her waist cape be speckled with blood, meaning almost three days' worth of deafening silence in their apartment save for the one-sided hormone-induced banter whenever Riza got annoyed at the smallest of things. Try as he might, Roy was reaching the end of his patience but he knew it was no use provoking the volatile volcano that was his lovely sniper of a wife. No, there had to be another way.

He pursed his lips and turn off the stove. Before he served them dinner, though, he angled a chair to face Riza and sat down on it. Roy could be deemed stupid for facing the storm head on but he was out of options. Carefully, he laid a hand on her shoulder and was thankful she didn't flinch or shove him away. Then he took the pencil from her hand and placed it far from her reach, pushing her air gun away in the process (to be on the safe side, of course).

Roy expected the deep scowl on her face. "What on Earth are you doing, Roy? I'm working."

He sighed softly and nodded. "I know, my love, but it's dinner time and you don't look like you're enjoying what you're doing at the moment."

Amber eyes rolled. "It doesn't matter if I'm enjoying it or not. I have a list to accomplish—"

"…which you can do tomorrow in the office with your subordinates so you don't have to carry the weight of everything alone," he reasoned gently.

"I need—"

" _Riza_." Even he was surprised at the seriousness and firmness of his voice. However, it seemed to pull her from the furious side of her mood's spectrum…and then dragged her to the other side, one that he hasn't ever had the pleasure (or was it displeasure?) of witnessing.

His eyes bugged out of their sockets as Riza's brows knotted, lips quivered, and nostrils expand and contract. Roy expected a physical affront like a slap or a punch but what he got was glassy eyes with liquids collecting at the corners before spilling over and running down her angelic face. His mouth slackened and the alchemist was at a loss on what to do.

"Oh, _shit_ ," he cussed under his breath, quickly recalling if he even made the mistake of saying anything offensive for her to have that kind of reaction. As far as he knew, he was being reasonable and he merely used her name to call her attention. As far as he knew, he didn't set out to upset her in any way at all.

Roy did what he thought was the best maneuver and gathered his weeping wife in his arms, a hand going to her hair to soothe her with gentle strokes. The clueless man had to wonder how she could go from a fire-breathing dragon to a sensitive glass case of emotions in under 10 seconds. Women's hormones were ridiculous, and he could only feel bad for his wife as he knew she hated being unwillingly vulnerable.

"It's okay," he started softly. "It's okay, my love. We'll figure it out, okay? We'll-we'll…sort it and get it done as soon as we can…"

She whimpered in response to his words and Roy grimaced slightly. If soothing strokes on her hair, hugging her, and encouraging words didn't help, what on hell's Earth would? Mustang wracked his brain for a few moments before he sighed and collected himself. Pulling them apart slightly, he sought her gaze. "I'm going to kiss your lips, okay?"

"Okay," she squeaked, in the tiniest voice he had ever heard her speak, breathlessly.

There was no sweet melody of violins that serenaded them. No fireworks in the background that lit up the sky. They weren't in the middle of a prairie with flowers blossoming and grass swaying along with the humble breeze. It wasn't like anything portrayed in books and movies but he had to admit that the moment their lips first touched, he didn't need the fanciful accompaniments to know that it was bliss that he was feeling.

Roy had rarely indulged himself in imagining what kissing Riza would feel like. It wasn't that he didn't wish for that to happen, rather, he somehow gave up all hope that it would. However, in the handful of times that he did, they were all incomparable to the reality of what was happening at the moment.

Their first contact was a little stiff and awkward that Roy suddenly became self-conscious so he pulled back from their twine and sought her face. He wanted to know if that was an all right thing to do, even if she did give her permission to do so earlier. To his surprise, the collars of his shirt were pulled and his lips met hers again.

This time, he let himself loosen up at the contact instead of thinking ways on how to make their first kiss perfect. As if on their own volition, an arm snaked around her form and he pulled Riza closer. His free hand went to cup her face. The alchemist twisted her head slightly to the side to deepen their kiss and he felt his wife reciprocating in kind.

The couple stayed entangled as long as they could before the need for breathing pushed their reflexes to part with each other. Panting slightly, Roy rested his forehead on Riza's. Her whole demeanour seemed to have calmed down finally, and he thought he did a spectacular job taming the beast within, if he could say so himself.

Their comfortable silence was cut short by her mellow voice. "I'm sorry…"

"What—?"

Riza poked his muscly stomach. "Don't think I don't know how I've behaved towards you since Monday."

Roy averted his eyes and chuckled sheepishly. "Ah…Does…does that happen often?" he asked gently.

"The monthly period?" she asked. "It happens—"

"Monthly, I know. Spent quite a time in my life living with females, remember?" he said. "I mean the, uh…mood swings?"

She took a deep breath and frowned, thinking of the state of their domestics since Monday. "First time to happen, honestly. I have been living alone for goodness know how long. I guess now that I have a living, breathing, cognitive outlet at home, you became an easy target."

Roy cocked his head to the side. "We've worked with each other for almost five years. How come we never experienced this at work?"

Shrugging, Riza fiddled with the fabric of his military blue trousers. "All of your testosterones were enough to drown out my effeminate hormones, I suppose? Besides, I rarely slip during work; you know that."

"Is there anything I can do to help you out when this happens next month?" he queried.

Riza beamed brightly, something he was relieved to see after being reigned by a hurricane over these last two days. She cupped his face and her thumbs traced the skin over his cheek. "Well, chocolates help. Red wine does, too, but I don't drink on nights before work. And I satisfy whatever food craving I have two weeks before and during my period."

The alchemist made mental notes of what she had said, but a phrase caught his attention. "Two weeks before? What does that have to do with your period?"

She grinned softly at his curious look, finding it endearing that he was asking all these questions instead of feeling repulsed by the idea of the normal processes going on in her body. "The cycle doesn't stop, Roy. The symptoms just fluctuate. Two weeks before my predicted date in a month, I would start getting these cravings."

"Oh. Okay, I suppose that makes…sense?" he reasoned, uncertain.

The blonde markswoman giggled and bopped his nose with a finger. "Doesn't have to make sense to you. I just need you to be extra patient with me when bloody hell starts. I may deal with all this better next month when we've properly adjusted."

"It's all right," he assured her.

"For what it's worth, I really am sorry for my hormone-induced stinginess. I didn't—this wasn't how I imagined our first proper week of living together would be."

The brigadier general shook his head. "No need to apologise. I'm pretty sure you've suffered more in five years under me than I did in two days with you on your period."

She was about to retort but his stomach grumbled loudly. Riza sighed, feigning dejection, and shook her head. The colonel stood up and collected the papers on their wooden table. "Must you always ruin a sweet moment, Roy-kun?"

Riza didn't need to look at her husband to know that there was a childish pout on his lips.

" _Always_? What do you mean by that, Riza?"

The blonde smirked at her husband before she plated the dinner he so lovingly cooked.

* * *

"Here," she heard Rebecca say as a carton of milk chocolate was placed on her tray as soon as she sat down on one of the benches in the mess hall. Riza looked up to her adjutant and best friend with a questioning look.

"Oh, come now, Taisa. I know how you are when it happens. Plus, Mustang looks incredibly miserable. Have you been giving him a hard time?" the brunette before her queried.

None of the people at work (save for the Führer, of course) knew that they have started living together, on top of the fact that they were married. She and Roy had a lengthy conversation about keeping appearances. While she was opposed to the idea of buying the apartment units below them, above them, and to both their sides, she had to admit that it was the easiest thing to do since they wanted to keep her space.

They could have lived in Roy's quarters three floors above Madame Christmas' bar but he reasoned that her place was cozier, and that his could get loud and boisterous during the night. True, Roy had to make use of the forgotten underground tunnels and alleyways to get to their home but it was a price they had to pay to keep things under control.

As far as appearances go, they were on top of their game.

"It seems that I have," Riza hummed sadly, punching a straw into the carton and sipping the brown liquid luxuriously. She set the carton down and took her fork, prodding her mash and steamed chicken. "Why are you asking?

Rebecca shrugged, crossing her legs and scooting closer to their shared table. "No reason in particular. He just looks like every attached man in the military whose girlfriend or wife has _the visit_. Never thought I'd see the day Mustang actually is one of them."

"Hm?" she hummed in question. Riza eyed her best friend cautiously as Rebecca certainly has that mischievous twinkle in her eyes. The colonel blinked twice at her best friend, not wanting to say anything or even open her mouth in fear of spilling anything that might allude to hers and Roy's agreements.

The snicker that escaped her best friend's lips sent a chill underneath her skin. Riza had never been totally immune to Rebecca's persuasions despite what others may think. "You guys are official, aren't you? Yeah? Yeah?"

Catalina's words were nothing more than a whisper but she checked the proximity of their table to see if anyone might be near enough to hear their conversation. The action turned Rebecca's teasing grin into a knowing smirk.

"Welcome to the club, Ri!" she exclaimed under her breath, nudging her commanding officer slightly.

She almost choked on her mash when Rebecca did so and Riza had to grab the glass of water to calm herself down. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she managed to pat them down. The colonel shot a glare towards her best friend but the other woman seemed too happy to even notice. "Not so loud, Becky. And what do you mean 'welcome to the club'?"

A wide grin and a soft blush appeared upon Rebecca's face, which surprised Riza as she had not seen her best friend blush in _so long_. "Jean Havoc."

"Havoc?!" she questioned in a whisper. Riza wanted to take back her flabbergast because after a few moments of considering it, Rebecca and Jean make sense…in their own unique Rebecca-and-Jean way.

Instead of being startled or affronted by her reaction, Rebecca nodded enthusiastically and Riza had to wonder how far _deep_ were the two. "When your Jiji became the big boss, he couldn't finalise my transfer papers as quickly because we had several loose ends at the Eastern HQ so he had me back and forth here and there. I always, _always_ needed a drink as soon as I arrive in Central, so I go to the Madame's. Most of the time Jean's always there and we got close."

"So how long have you been going out?" Riza asked, thoroughly curious.

Rebecca gestured wildly with her hands but Riza couldn't understand what it meant so the brunette swallowed her food and gulped a drink. "Three months. You know, you and Mustang should come with us. We can have one of those group date things. I mean I rarely stand the guy but I suppose I can be civil with him since he's now your boyfriend."

"I said not so loud," Riza said, elbowing Rebecca's side.

Rolling her dark eyes, Rebecca dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "Almost everyone's busy with the Xingese food truck outside and no one's near our table, Ri. Loosen up. Anyways, you wouldn't believe how many couples we encounter during date night that are from the military. I suppose that fraternization law does have its loopholes, no? The council doesn't seem extremely bothered by it as long as we get the results we need…"

"Oh? Then how come there were several attempts to court martial Junshou and I before? Clearly, they don't seem too un-bothered," the blonde articulated.

"Well, that I don't exactly have an answer to but didn't the attempts happen when Mustang and your team were becoming a little too involved with the homunculus thing?" she said in retrospect. "I highly think it's Bradley and his band of freaks and old geezers are the ones up to that. Besides, the fraternization law seems so outdated now, don't you think so? Maybe that's why the council now doesn't bother."

Pursing her lips, she considered Rebecca's argument. "Well, I am not exactly sure if it's outdated."

"Ri, what we do behind the doors of our homes should remain that way…behind closed doors. There's no point trying to restrict people if they deliver their jobs without compromising the efficiency and effectivity of the military," Rebecca said, reminding the colonel next to her why she was friends with her. Catalina was progressive in her way of thinking that it constantly challenges Riza to think outside of the box. "If only I had the talent for words, I'd be lobbying for a repeal to that law, honestly, and suggest an alternative that is in no way restricting to us soldiers but would still maximize the benefit of the military."

Riza shook her head. Rebecca does have a talent for it; she just doesn't recognize it. "We could do that."

"Ri, you're crazy."

Amber eyes widened and a stunned expression coloured the blonde's face. "…because?"

"It's just a silly idea that I have. It's so silly that it doesn't exactly warrant seeing the light of day," Rebecca shrugged.

Riza cocked her head to the side. "Not really. It has potential that we can explore."

Rebecca swept her plate free of the mash and drank the rest of her lemonade. "Ri, we have Ishval matters keeping us busy."

"I didn't say now."

"Soon?" the brunette queried.

"Soon. Definitely soon."

* * *

The memorandum circular was burnt into a crisp even before Riza had laid her eyes on it. Roy let the ashes of the paper fall to the floor but quickly realized that his wife might not like dark ash stains dirtying their carpet. The alchemist procured cleaning materials from under the sink and poised to sweep the residue when he noticed Black Hayate cleaning it up with his tongue eagerly.

"Dang it, boy," he gently admonished the puppy, ruffling his soft fur. "We're both going to get in trouble if you do things like that, y'know."

"Things like what?" a voice sounded from the door frame and Roy barely managed to hold back his grimace.

"Welcome home, love," the alchemist greeted as he strolled towards his wife and locked the door behind them. Roy took off her waist cape and her military jacket for her, taking the pins and stars off gingerly before discarding them to the pile of laundry by the entrance of their bathroom. "Didn't expect you'd arrive later than me, Taisa."

"Mm. Catalina and I needed some extra time to sort things out with the faction of the council overseeing our plans for Ishval," Riza said, untying her boots and setting them next to Roy's bigger ones. "Speaking of whom… Did you know she and Havoc are going out together?"

"How am I supposed to know if you did not?" he countered, laying his hands on her shoulders and gently squeezing them. "Is that the reason why you've been monopolized by Catalina every lunch break ever since she was placed under your command? To talk about these things?"

Riza sat back and sighed when she felt her head rest against his muscled abdomen. "No. We only talked about it today. We needed the extra hour to discuss hour plans. And she isn't monopolizing me."

"Oh, really now?" he asked, brows raised. "Then why does it seem to be that way ever since the transfers?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you're being jealous right now, Roy-kun."

The brigadier general harrumphed. "I would _never_ be jealous of that harpy."

A chuckle escaped from Riza's lips and she looked up to her husband with a playful glint in her eye. "Come, now. She merely has me for nine hours of the day. The rest, I am yours. That's roughly fifteen hours, Sir."

"Tch. And eight of those hours, we're asleep, Riza," Roy pointed out glumly.

Riza stood from her chair and turned, kneeling on the furniture so that she could somehow reach his height. The blonde laid her hands on her husband's chest and let her fingers draw senseless patterns on the fabric of his white, collared shirt.

"What do you suggest we do, Junshou?" she asked, a smirk contorting her lips.

Roy tilted his head downwards with a sly look on his face, one that she has seen whenever the flame alchemist was on his dates (which were actually information digs). This time, however, it wasn't a scripted expression out for show. It was a genuine look that depicted the way his head turned its gears.

The alchemist brought his lips to her ear and answered her in a suggestive whisper. "We lessen the hours of our sleep, Taisa."

* * *

 **A/N:** I really, really appreciate all your support! I'll see you in the next installation of TWiO!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Honestly, I kinda feel like I went around circles with this chapter. I dunno. It took me a while to make it coherent, and I really hoped I delivered enough. :/ Thank you for taking your time to read this story, even if it's not as well put together as the other ones! Please let me know what you think! Thank you, again!

* * *

Riza had no idea how they ended up that way, her kneeling on their dining chair and kissing the soft lips of her husband. The moment she tries to think about it, his lips deepened their kiss and his hands started to wander all over her back in a way that he had never touched her before. Roy gave her no room to take a step back and analyse things so she just went with it.

A sound escaped her lips when he pulled out the hem of her black turtleneck from the confines of her bottom military blues. Her ears rang with anticipation and the thumping of her chest only became a little erratic. They soon reached their limit of holding their breaths so they parted slightly, and she laid her head against his strong shoulder.

When his hands touched the skin of her lower back, she sighed appreciatively at the warmth they offered. The sear of his hands' heat went from the skin of her back to the front and climbed way up to her neck. The blonde colonel had to bite her lip as his hands explored her skin, not wanting to give out yet how much she was enjoying it.

And then he stopped.

Her eyes flashed open and she carefully tore herself away from his chest to look up at him questioningly. The look on his face wasn't something that she sees often, what with Roy almost always being sure of himself and his actions. Riza had the question on her tongue but she bit it back when she realized what made him cease his actions.

His hands rested on a patch of skin that was scarred and marred by his alchemy. The heat on Riza's body dissipated and a slight shiver rocked her spine as Roy pulled his hands from her back and placed them behind him. She watched as his expression fell from that of anticipation to guilt and helplessness. His eyes clenched tightly shut and his teeth gritted against themselves.

"I shouldn't be touching you this way," he said against his clenched teeth, fists balling tightly.

A tiny, yet sharp sensation pricked her chest at his words. It had been so long a time since the burning happened but it seemed that Roy keeps the memory fresh, judging from his demeanour just now. Silently, she wonders how many memories of loss, regret, and grief he keeps alive in his mind. Riza wouldn't be surprised if he remembers almost every downfall he had to suffer.

Shifting slightly, she stood from the chair and went behind him, laying her hands on his clenched fists. She caressed them gently, lovingly until his hands fell back to his sides. Then, Riza engulfed him in an embrace from behind, nestling her face against his broad back right in between his shoulder blades.

"It seems we have a lot to talk about," she whispered against his clothed skin. Silently, she thanked the universe that it was already Friday and that they have the weekend at their disposal.

She only heard him hum dejectedly in reply.

"Have you eaten, though?" she asked, breaking away from him to face him properly.

Roy nodded. "You told me to eat if you aren't here by 1830 hours."

Riza chuckled softly. "Hm, it does seem you know how to take care of yourself."

"Don't mistake it for that. I merely don't wish to disobey your orders, Taisa."

The colonel smiled softly at her junshou before claiming the shower.

* * *

He stared at the closed bathroom door for a few minutes before he had the mind to put the kettle on for the two of them. Roy stayed close to the stove, wanting to feel a bit more warmth than their apartment offered. Fire had been second nature to him ever since he learned flame alchemy. Despite the horrors he caused, he had learned to seek solace in it.

But it doesn't mean that he has stopped feeling guilty about every single destructive incineration he had sparked. The brigadier general leaned against the counter and ran a hand down his face before he brought his hands before him, observing them in silence. His mind brought him back to the question he threw Maes during the Ishvalan extermination.

 _Can you really hold the woman you love with your blood-stained hands?_ _  
_  
Roy bit his lip and closed his eyes shut. He felt like he was thrown in the middle of a hurricane with his conflicting emotions. The iron taste on his tongue and the sting on his chewed-on lip made him laugh bitterly to himself. Endless heroic titles and praises after, he was still very much a coward.

In that moment, he envied Maes so much. His fortitude, his optimism, and his resilience were things that Roy wanted in order to move forward but he didn't think he had the capability at the moment. For a quick while, he wanted to regret that he insisted on having the wedding so soon after Riza left his command.

Looking at it now, he found himself foolish for insisting they marry so quickly. He hasn't made peace with his troubles yet. His past mistakes still haunted him on occasion. There were many a sleepless night when his mind ran overdrive thinking and overthinking about his guilt. And now, he was dragging Riza into it without even considering the fact that she may be in the same situation as he was.

However, the ceremony was done, vows were exchanged, and papers were signed. Reversing the validity of their union wouldn't do anything to help the situation anyways. It might just aggravate it. Frustrated at his current predicament, Roy dug his palms into his eyes and rubbed them haphazardly.

"I'm a fucking coward," he whispered to himself.

"Careful," Riza warned, freshly emerged from the bathroom in her silk pyjamas. "That's my husband you're talking about."

Roy managed to drag his face away from his hands to look at her, face anything but amused at her words. If anything, he seemed to have fallen into despair. The look he gave her almost made Riza regret her teasing, but she had no time to think about such a trivial matter.

The colonel stepped from her place by the counter that separated the kitchen and the living room to walk towards her husband. Right on time, the kettle whistled and she diverted her attention to the sounding pot. With the tea poured, they settled quietly on the sofa. She was the one to break their silence.

"I believe we have things to talk about," Riza said softly, lips touching her cup as she spoke. In all honesty, it was a subject she was very reluctant to breach since it was something far too personal for them both.

No matter the circumstance, whether it was Ishval or the collateral damage they could not avoid when they tried to overthrow Bradley, it was the same guilt of having blood-stained hands. It was the same guilt of putting an end to lives of innumerable innocent people.

Over the years, Riza had managed to train herself to look at that aspect of her life a little more logically. The fact that she had willingly took part in the Ishvalan extermination cannot be erased. However, she knew she needed to move forward from it. She was alive today for a reason and being alive meant one could do more things than a dead person can.

Whether Roy was aware of that himself, she wasn't sure.

She looked over to the man opposite her and watched as he fidgeted on his seat and wrung his hands about. His fingers flexed and stretched erratically as he tried to remain cool-headed. Something in his behavior reminded Riza of a volcano, seconds away from erupting. For a moment, she thought about how long he willed his thoughts to lay dormant.

Per usual, her exterior showed no signs of uncertainty or anxiousness. It was a habit that turned into second nature, and Riza was thankful it had as she didn't wish to antagonise the situation that Roy currently was in. Her insides were a different story. Her stomach twisted in knots as she sat unmoving, wanting nothing more than to go over to him and hold him close. However, she knew she couldn't. Not yet.

As he sat enslaved by the thoughts he tried very hard to suppress, the world melted around him. Roy was oblivious to his behaviour at that moment, nor did he notice that Riza's stoicism was reaching its limits as she sat in silence watching him struggle against his mind.

His chest felt tight like his heart was pumping twice as fast and thrice as hard, but his ribcage felt like it was huge, too. It was as if his muscles were struggling to contain his insides and he could feel something clawing about his muscles. His stomach twisted into several hundred knots that bile threatened to rise. The constriction in his airway was the only one holding it down.

Roy was sweating but the air felt cold and frigid. His clenched eyes made the images of his memories very vivid. There was nothing but silence in their apartment but somehow that made the agonizing screams of the people who fell victim to his flames seem much more piercing than they ever did. The Junshou wanted to scream out to alleviate some of the tension in his body but he was afraid he'd spill his stomach's contents if he did as little as opening his mouth.

Her clenched knuckles started to tremble when she neared the threshold of her seeming indifference. Whatever gave Riza the idea that giving Roy space was wise, it was scorned to the depths of oblivion and never to return. Quick and graceful on her feet, she rose and dared to close their proximity. It was frightening to see a whole spectrum of emotions flash through Roy, and while she didn't know what, she knew that she needed to do something.

Riza kneeled before her husband and gently laid her hands on her clenched fists. In silence, she hopes her minuscule manus were enough to absorb the tremors in his, if she couldn't contain them completely. Her mask of passivity cracked when she saw the dark threatening to consume his eyes. It was almost the same look he had when he wanted to torch Envy to ashes.

"Roy…" she called to him, voice dipped in urgency. Riza's frown deepened and she grew slightly nervous. There were no other people to coax him out of his despairing state. There was no Scar, no Edward Elric who would set him straight. There was no one but her and frankly, she doubts she could do much but plead. "Roy, _please_ …"

Even Black Hayate was alerted by the couple's turmoil. The Shiba Inu leapt from his place where he napped and scurried over between Roy and Riza. Hayate squeezed himself between his two owners, head nuzzling anything of Roy's that he could reach: his leg, his arms, his face. A frustrated and pained whine sounded from the dog when his master didn't react instantly to his touches. The dog shifted his attention to his mistress and gave her face an encouraging rub before turning back to Roy.

Every second that passed without as much as a subtle acknowledgment from Roy, Riza had begun to increase her panic. His eyes have turned from dark to glassy and unfocused, something that she didn't even entertain the possibility of returning. Her bottom lip started to quiver so she bit it in an attempt to swallow her dread.

"Roy, _damn it_ ," she called to him once more, her usually calm and cool voice beginning to crack. Her mandible had grown tight, grinding her teeth against each other. Her own airway was beginning to constrict and it seemed that no matter how much she tried to inhale, air was intercepted by her own throat.

Riza grabbed his face and sought his eyes once more, hoping that she could coax him out of this state of anxiety. With every inch of her body pleading for him to come back to reality, their gazes somehow met and Riza has never been more relieved to see sadness in his eyes rather than a wild, lost glance. The gravity of the situation bore upon her body and she collapsed against him, arms tightening around his frame as much as she could. Tears pricked her eyes and she let them fall.

"R-Riza," he gasped after a while. "Can't breathe."

The sound of his wheezing voice made several more traces of warm liquid to stain her face and she couldn't hold back the sob when she opened her mouth to speak. "You _idiot_. How many times do I have to tell you? Don't go where I can't _fucking_ follow."

Roy returned the embrace and buried his face against her shoulder. He grinned softly when he felt Hayate tried to snuggle inside the crevice that was formed by their odd posture. "Aye, Ma'am."

"You made Hayate worried," she whispered, not trusting her voice just yet as she tried to collect her scattered emotions.

The Junshou chuckled when the dog whined once more, so he voiced his apology to their furry companion.

"I'm sorry, Riza," she heard him say after a lengthy pause. The mood in their apartment was calmer now, which helped the both of them settle down. "I…seem to keep on dragging you into my mess, no matter how much I try to shield you from it."

"Goes to show that it's futile to do so, doesn't it?"

* * *

Their conversations spanned the rest of their evening. During the whole time, Riza was keen on keeping a hand firmly wrapped around Roy's. It seemed that the brigadier general found it easier to sort his thoughts that way, as if she were the anchor he needed to prevent him from detaching from reality once more.

The pair of them talked about the burning first. It was a painful memory for them both, though more physically on Riza's side. They were not allowed any time to process the act that she had asked of him since the military urged Roy to come into office the morning after it happened. Riza had apologized for making him do it, but Roy understood better now why it had to happen.

The colonel had insisted that Roy need no forgiveness since she didn't fault him for it, but instead he did her a favour. The Junshou begrudgingly set on to accept her words.

Ishval was next on their list and neither of them knew how to properly start the dialogue. Their heads hung slightly at the memories that seemed to be a lifetime ago, distant but not forgotten. Roy's mind was doing a flashback of every fire that he had ignited, while Riza's mind seemed like a flipchart that contained almost every face that she saw through her sniper. Before they realized it, their twined hands have grown cold from how hard they were gripping each other.

It's not as if they sought to forget the horrours of Ishval. Neither did they seek for forgiveness or redemption from the terrible things they have participated in. The couple was long resigned to the fact that they would be tried for their war crimes sooner or later, once an interested party pried into the matter. However, they recognized that they can't remain immobile. They knew that simply biding their time by hiding behind their respective desks weren't enough.

They may have soiled the holy land with countless deaths during the massacre, but they would fight tooth and nail if they aren't allowed to contribute to the re-establishment of the once-peaceful land. Riza was taking the steps towards that now and while her heart was not wounded by the extermination anymore, the scars that have formed them serve as her motivators for doing the mission.

Roy, of course, will wield any power he could in order to lend a hand in the Ishvalan restoration. He may have committed his team in doing so several nights ago, but this time it was driven more by conviction to do good rather than being fueled solely by guilt. There was a fine line between the two but the differences were worlds away.

"I know…I have already apologized," he started timidly, gripping her hand a little firmly once more. "But I still am sorry for manip—"

"Enough," Riza said, cutting him off. "If things didn't happen the way they did, do you think we would be here right now, in this exact moment?"

A lump formed in Roy's throat and he swallowed hard to dissolve it. He knew the answer but it was difficult to get himself to accept when he had caused her so much pain and disappointment. "Riza, I—"

"Where's the Roy who promised me he'd make me happy now because of the disappointments he caused me in the past?" the blonde dared ask. "Is he gone?"

"N-No!" he retorted, voice going up a pitch as it faltered. There was trepidation upon his features before he realized that his answer may just have had the opposite effect. Roy shook his head and took a deep breath, a serious look replacing his last. "No. He's not gone."

Riza nodded briskly. "Good. Then stop apologizing for conflicts we have already settled and matters I have already forgiven you for. You know very well that I don't like repeating myself, Junshou."

"Aye, Ma'am. I'm so—" Roy cut himself off and swallowed, not wanting to spite her further by mindlessly sputtering out an apology. After what seemed like a long time, he heard Riza chuckle and then felt her soft lips graze his cheek.

She stood from her spot on the sofa and broke away from his grasp. "Come now, it's already nearing midnight. We should get ready to sleep."

Roy nodded, clearing away the tea set and setting on to wash them as Riza arranged Hayate's sleeping area for the Shiba Inu to be much more comfortable. They worked well in their domestics as they do in their heists, it seemed, and it really shouldn't surprise him anymore.

* * *

The press of their thick covers gave Roy a sense of warmth that he didn't know he needed that night. He appreciated the slight darkness in silence before he turned to his side to curl his form around his wife. His head found their niche on her shoulder and he let out a sigh of relaxation as her body heat slowly crept to his skin.

The Mustangs stayed that way for a few minutes before Riza broke the silence. "Couldn't sleep, can you?"

"'m awake as I was this morning," he mumbled into her skin.

Riza smirked. "Well, not very awake, then."

The brigadier general opened his eyes only to roll them back before shutting them again. "I meant after the morning coffee."

"Hm."

His eyes flashed open once more at her non-verbal reply. "There's something on your mind, love."

"Mm."

Roy shifted on the bed to get a better look at her. The faint glow of the moonlight was enough for his eyes to recognize the uneasy look on her face. Her usually bright eyes were as dim as the shrouded stars in the night sky. It was a sight he doesn't like seeing on her. His arm cuddled her closer to him and he kissed her forehead gently. "Tell me?"

Still, her eyes didn't meet his. "I don't know how to."

"Try me."

He felt Riza shift on their bed and Roy gave him space to do so. The brigadier general allowed his wife to shift in his arms, but he didn't exactly expect that she would snuggle close up to him. So far, their physical contact had mostly been initiated by him and most times, he finds her following suit. Not that it mattered much; he knew she was testing waters regarding her comfort with intimate touches, and Roy was more than content to be patient.

But he was also more than content to welcome whatever tiny leap Riza made in making herself comfortable with couple-y touchings…which was why his arms automatically wrapped around her frame when she practically pressed herself against him.

"It's just that…" she started, voice small and muffled by his clothed chest. "Ever since the Promised Day, I have been having some…recurring nightmares."

Roy nodded even though she couldn't see him do so. "I know. Catalina told me."

She released the breath she didn't realise she was holding. Well, if Becky had already told him, then she wouldn't have to go through the torture of telling him about the details. "Okay, then…Just that, all the previous nights, I didn't have them because my hormones were making me more tired than usual. Now that my cycle has restarted, I am waiting for it to hit. So, if you could sleep now, that'd be great. I wouldn't be able to disturb your sleep with it when you're already so deep into it."

"Nonsense, Riza," he bit back, taking slight offence at that. How is it that she is able to take care of him whenever he had his terrors (whether awake or otherwise), but she hides hers from him? "We sleep together. If you have the terrors, you'll wake me anyway. And I shall comfort you, as you do to me."

The sigh of exasperation that came from his wife sort of irritated him. "You barely get enough sleep as it is, Roy."

"And you don't give me enough chances to prove to you that I can be helpful to you as much as you are helpful with me," the brigadier general countered.

It was a scoff this time, but the effect in him was the same. "Don't be absurd, Roy. You being alive is enough for me."

"But it is not enough for me," he said, voice hard and a tone louder. Roy almost regretted it when he felt her shrink away from him slightly. "You have to realize that I wish to fulfil my husband duties to the best of my ability. I didn't become yours because I merely wanted the title, Riza. I became yours because I craved for the responsibility that it entailed. I can't go about my duties to you as my spouse if you deprive me of the opportunities to do so, even before they surface."

Rarely was Colonel Riza Hawkeye-Mustang stunned into silence. Usually she was the one doing the shutting up either with her words stripped of any sugarcoating or her aiming her gun or her firing her gun. However, his words rendered her unable to speak anything but, "I'm sorry, Roy-kun. I'm just not used to—"

"—having to depend on someone, since usually you are the one to be depended on," he finished for her. "Yes, I know."

"Mm." Her non-verbal reply was not irritating at all, since it entailed that she was finally getting what he wished to convey.

"You are going to have to allow me to steer this ship along with you, Riza," he said softly, bringing a hand to caress her round cheek. Roy kissed her nose softly before he continued. "A two-man vessel will crash or sink if one of the two workers are to be withheld from fulfilling obligations, no matter how capable the other is."

Her eyes softened at his words and there was extreme heat that crept into her face. For a quick while, Riza wanted to sock him in the jaw for smirking because she knew he felt the blush on her cheeks as much as she did. But, she willed the urge away and simply nodded.

"All right," he heard her say. "All right. I will."

"It's the only thing I ask, my love," he whispered. Roy took no time in claiming her lips in a deep kiss. Since they first shared one just the other night, their evening seemed incomplete if they didn't snog till they were gasping for air.

Try as he might, the boundaries that come down following their marriage has him floored at every turn. This was what he had wanted, what he had dreamed of for so long. It was what he never thought he would get in this lifetime, yet the universe one-upped him once more and made it happen.

And he swore on his life that he was not going to screw this up.

Riza was the first one to break away with jagged pants to replenish her breath. She smiled lovingly up at him and tangled her legs with his underneath their covers. Resting her head against his chest, she listened to his soothing heartbeat and let out a breath.

She mustered up the courage to finally say the words she had been thinking about ever since he first came to her apartment and formally professed his affections for her for the first time.

"I love you, my king."

* * *

A/N: Ye, a little drama there. It consumed so much of my energy that I had to end the chapter on a fluffy note just to compensate for it. I am bad at writing drama. Haha.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I don't even know how I'm going to explain this chapter. It really turned out differently than what I had intended, but eh, it is what it is. Let's just say it's a transition chapter to introduce another shift in their relationship? Yeah, let's go with that. Anyways, I really wish to explore more of their domesticity before I pump out the Ishval arc, so there's two or three or more chapters for their interactions at home before we shift to their individual projects. It's slowly moving along, I know, but given that there's so much to explore, I can't control my mind and my typing once they commence.

* * *

"So…I have neglected to tell you a few important things," Roy said in the middle of their breakfast the next day.

The blonde perpendicular to him stopped slicing her eggs and looked up to give her husband a questioning look. Try as she might, she couldn't stop her mind from thinking of a few dire circumstances, but Riza remained silent and nodded to urge Roy to continue.

Roy took a swig of tea and wiped the corner of his lip. "I don't know if you've seen the latest memorandum circular but the Briggs forces are going to have joint exercises with us in a few weeks. Olivier is requesting for your aid in weapons training."

"And the reason I am receiving the request by word-of-mouth instead of reading it is…?"

"I torched it; Hayate got rid of the ashes," Roy said and then smirked as the pup barked proudly.

Riza narrowed her eyes. "Because?"

"I don't like Olivier," he grumbled, not even taking the effort to elaborate his reason.

"Oh?" Riza hummed amusedly, a teasing smirk upon her lips. "And here I remember you trying to charm her when she first came to Central after a long time. Did she turn you down so harshly that she has you bitter?"

The flame alchemist frowned deeply and then scowled at the sniper. His previous methods of gallivanting and information gathering, which includes successfully charming other women to gather intel, comes up quite frequently in their banter. However, Riza still manages to make him feel uncomfortable with her teasing.

If he needed another proof regarding his wife and the führer's filial relationship, he won't be looking any further.

"Can we please stop talking about Olivier?" he groused. "It's making my food bland."

" _Sure_ ," she hummed, the playful smirk remaining on her lips.

Roy ignored her look and just sighed, going back to eating a bite of his baked beans. "Also, I have bought the whole apartment complex. The landlord wasn't going to allow me to, but I gave him a nice sum that he can use to start up another business that will carry him through his retirement."

Suddenly, the mirth in Riza's face turned into exasperation.

"I would really appreciate it if you were more responsible with money, Roy-kun," she mused.

"What?" he shrugged. "We have enough. I mean, hell, I can get us discharged and we'll be able to stay afloat for about a decade with lots more to spare before we need to find work again."

It wasn't that money greatly concerned her. She knew how to pinch pennies if need be. Certainly, she had experience living in poverty during the last years of her father's life. Her grandfather regularly sent her allowance back then but she had to stretch that so they could afford Berthold Hawkeye's medical bills and medicine.

The habit continued when she joined the ranks and with constant promotions, she had more than enough to live by without her grandfather's intervention. She wasn't one to indulge in unnecessary purchases so she had a lot saved up in case she needed it. Her recent promotion entailed another salary upgrade, effective immediately, but she was still meticulous regarding her expenses.

Somehow, her husband seemed to tread on the other line of monetary responsibility. Riza couldn't exactly blame him. He was raised under different circumstances. Even when he spent seven years in the Hawkeye manor, Roy always seemed to have more than enough as Madame Christmas was generous towards her nephew.

His personal accounts only ballooned when he became State Alchemist, as the funding for such people were rather extravagant, if she could say so for herself. It wasn't Roy's fault to be nonchalant regarding his expenses but they need to draw the line somewhere. Purchasing the whole of her apartment complex seemed to cross the line that was yet to be drawn.

"That's not the point I am trying to make," Riza countered, finishing her food and grabbing her mug of tea.

"So if I were to buy you the Browning Automatic Rifle, the Mannlicher M1894, and the limited edition Schwarzlose M1898, I will get a berating?" he asked smoothly, ticking off the three gun models that were still on Riza's to-buy list.

The question gave her a pause but she shook her head quickly and regained her bearings. She hid her fragile frown behind the warm mug. "Don't."

Roy's eyes crinkled and he let out a short, amused laugh. "Never let it be said that I don't know my wife's weakness."

A soft growl resounded from the base of her chest but the Junshou wasn't at all fazed. "I _don't_ have a weakness. And we're getting far from the point, Mustang. That will be the last mindless purchase from you, understand?"

"Aye, Ma'am," he said lightly. "But I wouldn't exactly call it mindless. See, the remaining units were enough to house my older sisters, so I gave it to them. Madame's place has been getting a little crowded with her taking so much strays. I figured I'd step in to help."

"By putting people who don't know our real status so close to us?" she asked, the doubt in her tone obvious.

Roy shrugged. "They don't exactly care about Roy-boy and Elizabeth-chan's affairs. And the units closest to ours are still vacant so we have them at arm's length."

There was a fuzzy warmth that shook her stomach when she heard her alias. So much history and experience were interlaced in those nine letters. "Let me get this clear. The four units closest to ours are still vacant and the rest of the units are occupied by your aunt's wards?"

"The rest except one," Roy informed her, smirking as the curiosity in her face only grew. "I had a small one reserved for our plan of keeping appearances. When I learned that Catalina was transferred here and put under your command, I had to think of a way to prevent her from learning the truth.

"She and you are great friends, no doubt. Great friends are common visitors in one's apartment. Naturally, we can't have her come here, seeing as we have pretty much settled and it'll be troublesome if we have to arrange and re-arrange our belongings just so your harpy of a friend won't find out that we're living together. That's when I thought of having a pseudo-apartment for us to keep."

"And if a person from either of our team shows up unannounced?" she challenged.

"That's where Vanessa comes in," Roy hummed. "She will serve as the building's receptionist. The Madame has her in charge of the older girls since she said she didn't wish to be active on the field anymore, and the Madame needed a co-admin to run the business. Anyways, should any unexpected visitors for you arrive, she will phone us first before she sends said visitor to the pseudo-apartment."

"Right…" she said tentatively, going over Roy's additional plan of action regarding keeping appearances.

He reached out and took a hand in his, squeezing. His voice was gentle and soft when he assured her. "I know it's a lot of work on top of our governmental responsibilities, but we'll get used to it in time, love. Besides, it's only for a temporary time before we can go public with our relationship."

"It's not like the Amestris Military will be shocked regarding such a revelation," Riza deadpanned with a roll of her eyes.

A soft chuckle escaped the alchemist before he leaned in and captured Riza in a kiss. "I know, my Queen. Now, come. Let's clean up, arrange the flat, and take a nice walk around the city. At least that's something we can do without rousing suspicion."

* * *

As it turns out, walking around the city wasn't as easy as Roy had expected. The both of them had fallen into step, per usual. Riza trailed three steps after him as if she were a guard on duty, while he leads the way.

Now that they were in their current social status, it became easy for him to tell apart which couples were married for a long time, which were just at the beginning of their relationship, and which couples were merely in the courtship phase. However, there was a common ground among all the categories.

They were all walking side by side.

The thought of it alone caused a frown upon his face. There was something brewing in him, which he couldn't point out. It was like he was repulsed by the sight but could not bring his eyes to look away from said couples. To make matters worse, they saw Jean Havoc and Rebecca Catalina walking towards their direction. The unlikely pair were practically hanging off each other's bodies.

For a moment, Roy thought that they should not have left their place if they were just going to be all up in each other's personal space. At least they would be behind closed doors. The next moment, the brigadier general realized that it was _jealousy_ that he was feeling.

A sour taste filled his mouth at the realization. Roy remained silent the whole time Riza and Rebecca had their exchange. He didn't even acknowledge Havoc's presence as he was far too deep into his mind.

"Chief," Jean greeted with a small salute before he jogged over to where Rebecca had turned to look at another shop.

Riza looked up at him when he didn't respond to his own adjutant's greeting. There was a confused look in her eyes, but a few silent moments passed and he figured she wasn't going to ask when they were out in public.

"Let's go," he said, voice low. The word _home_ went unsaid, but Riza nodded in understanding.

Their walk home was quiet. If Riza sensed that his mind was going in circles, she didn't point it out and merely gave him the space.

Roy was asking one question over and over again in his head. _Why was it difficult for him to see other couples?_ And as if some divine intervention, Maes Hughes' voice sounded in his mind, in that teasing cocky way. _Because they all display what they could not have just yet._ But what was it that they didn't have?

He exactly couldn't say that he was unhappy regarding their current status. In fact, it was the opposite. Roy was extremely happy that now, he lives as a married man (however obscured that fact was) with the woman—whom he has loved for as long as he could remember— as his wife.

Then he remembered their conversation over breakfast about keeping appearances. It was hard work, like he said, to cover up the fact that they were married now. Roy suddenly realized that it would be much more liberating if they were out in public. However, he knows that it wasn't an option now, much as he hated the fact.

Besides, Riza wouldn't ever do something that could jeopardize his rise to claim the top seat in the country's ranks.

Half an hour later, they have arrived back at their complex. There were several of his 'sisters' out and about the building with Vanessa manning the reception desk. Roy greeted no one, while he vaguely hears Riza exchanging pleasantries with those who noticed them and greeted. As soon as they arrived on their front door, Riza grabbed his hand and squeezed.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly, keying into their apartment with her unoccupied hand. Riza unclasped her grip to loosen Hayate from his leash. "Your mood turned sour almost as quickly as we went outside."

The general took his coat off and shrugged. "I just wasn't up for a walk. I'll start lunch. You take a bath first."

Roy felt her eyes on him as he walked into their kitchen, taking out the ingredients. He knew that she knew there was something bothering him, but he didn't want to open up such conversation for fear of sounding petty or whiney. Once the bathroom door closed, Roy released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

* * *

The Junshou spent an extra ten minutes in the shower that afternoon after their late lunch. It helped, seeing as he realized that he was doing _it_ again. The thing where he feels something negative and lets it eat himself away before it consumes him and explodes. Roy bent his head under the shower and let the spray of water splash against his scalp roughly.

He needed to stop doing things to himself that would only make his wife worry. Much as he hated feeling so negative, he hated doing collateral damage more. His hands haphazardly wiped his face and he tried so hard not to dwell on the things he couldn't have just yet and appreciate the things that he has at the moment.

Roy approached the matter at that moment the way he knew Riza would. There was only one question that she asks both to herself and to him whenever a conflict would rise. _Given the things that happened and the situation now, what do you do next?_

Like clockwork, Roy defined the situation before him (and his wife) in his head. Currently, they were in their private, little bubble. The world outside their door does not exist. Nor do _they_ exist to the outside world. The outside world does not know of the Mustangs, only Colonel Riza Hawkeye and Brigadier General Roy Mustang.

Special as that might be, he figured that simply existing in their cozy confines were a little _lacking_. The routine that they do weren't entirely different from what is expected of them whenever they needed to share the space. They take turns making food, then they take turns having the bath, they work if need be, they fix their apartment for a bit, and then they go to sleep.

Another day breaks and the cycle repeats. Nothing misplaced, nothing out of the ordinary.

Roy stepped out of the shower and wiped himself dry. There weren't many things that they can do together and have fun at the same time. Most of the things they liked doing together warranted for the both of them to step outside their burrow. He needed to find something they could do together that involves staying in.

While he was busy wiping his face, he grabbed for his clothes. Roy frowned when he found none. Tearing away from the cloth, his mouth hung in confusion as he looked at the bathroom counter. He mentally smacked himself when he realized he didn't bring any when he went inside the bathroom, as he was too busy festering his jealousy earlier.

Sighing, he wrapped his towel around his waist and went out the bathroom. He whistled a tune as he walked into their bedroom, finding his wife perched on their bed and reading a book he hasn't seen before.

"What's that you got there?" he asked, turning away from her and digging through his side of the wardrobe. "I've never seen that book of yours before."

It took a while for Riza to respond and when he looked to her direction, the brigadier general had completely missed the way she looked at him when he strode inside…completely missed the way she shook her head to bring herself out of her dumbfounded state.

It was the first time Roy presented himself to her in such way, but the fact flew over the Junshou's head. Sure, she had seen him in varying and less stages of undress, but they always involved tending to an injury or other medical emergency. Never walking out of a bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist because he forgot his damned clothes.

"Ah, Rebecca gave it to me," she said, thankful that the book was large enough to cover her face. The colonel was sure that there was a soft blush of pink on her cheeks. "She, uh, gave it to me yesterday."

"Ah," Roy hummed absent-mindedly, masterfully putting his clothes on without revealing anymore skin. "Ri, what do you think of book sharing?"

Riza's eyes widened at the sudden suggestion and her surprise was not lost on her voice. "B-Book sharing?!"

Roy turned away from their closet and hung his damp towel on one of the empty hangers. He walked over and sat on their bed, back resting against their headboard. The alchemist gathered her legs and placed them across his knees. Like her reaction to him just casually walking inside their room, he missed the surprise in her voice.

"Yeah. We take turns reading the same book then discuss it afterwards. I figured we should have something to do together on our days off. Since we can't go out and spend time at public places together, we have to find activities we can bond over at home. Book discussion is the first one I thought of since it's one of our shared interests," he explained.

Riza blinked, her face still masked by her novel. "I g-guess that's okay. How are we going to choose the book?"

Humming, the alchemist scratched his head. "Well, I just finished my last book two weeks ago and I haven't started anything yet. We can start with that book of yours, since you seem to be already two or three chapters in."

The faint pink on her cheeks warmed further to an intense red, and Riza cleared her throat quietly to settle her jumpy nerves. "Uhm…well—"

"Why? What's wrong?" he asked, eyebrows crinkling. "If it's not something you're up to doing, we can figure out something else; I don't mind."

"No!" she exclaimed. "No, it's a great idea. Just that, we, uh…maybe we should find another book. This one can wait."

Roy's confusion grew at her odd behavior and he hummed under his breath as he observed her. She took quite the time to respond to his question earlier when he asked about the book. Now, Riza was not showing her face to him by purposefully using her book. And said book was missing its dustcover.

The brigadier general looked around and saw a glossy piece of colorful paper under her pillow. His quick hands beat hers and he pulled the dustcover gingerly, then widening his eyes when he saw the title of the book that his wife was reading. " _Venus in Yrsania?!"_

As quickly as she heard the words, her hands scrambled to grab the dustcover away from her husband. However, Riza was quickly intercepted when Roy easily gathered both her wrists in his large hand. "Give me that!"

"No, no, wait," he said with a smirk, pushing her away from him slightly and turning to his side to read the blurb on the dustcover. After a few moments, a chuckle escaped the flame alchemist. "Yes, this is what I think it is! I remember this book! I have read this so many times; I almost have it memorized."

"You are incorrigible, Roy!"

The smirk on his lips, however, was not wiped away despite her insult. "And I didn't know you were into novels of this genre, darling mine! What say you we use this book as our first topic, yeah?"

"Oh, _god_ , I married a pig."

"What?" he hummed. "It's a piece of literature. It is meant to be discussed…with one's wife."

When he released her hands, Riza merely crossed her arms and huffed before she burrowed under their covers and curled into a ball. The blush on her face remained and it irritated the colonel that it did. She felt the bed dip as Roy shifted on the mattress but she didn't pay it any mind.

Deciding that teasing her was enough, Roy's smirk turned into a soft smile and joined her under the sheets. His arms wound around her form and he drew her close. Per usual, her scent was intoxicating to him. He kissed the crown of her head and nuzzled into her. "All right, I'm sorry for teasing you. I just was…pleasantly and amusedly surprised that you read such literature. No harm meant, Ri. We'll choose another book to discuss."

His appeasement was met with silence so he tried again. "Riza, love? You're still awake, right?"

"I am."

The small gust of relief was enough to blow his growing worries away. "You aren't angry with me, are you?"

"No."

Roy frowned then. "Your responses seem otherwise, Ri."

"I'm just thinking, Roy-kun," she said.

Her voice was soft, void of any anger, which made him believe her claims. After all, Riza wasn't one to lie about her feelings and thoughts. "About the book?"

A beat of silence passed before she answered. "Yes."

With the teasing atmosphere gone, Roy suddenly found himself conscious of the situation they were in. They have only been living for a week. Married for two weeks. Such kind of intimacy was a topic yet to be discussed. And so, he tried diverting the situation. "Ah, I see. So, when did you start reading from the genre?"

"Back when Becky and I were in the academy. She introduced it to me. I stopped reading such after we got back from Ishval. This book is the first one after all this time," she said softly.

Roy wanted to squeeze her in annoyance for successfully pointing their conversation once more towards the direction he wasn't ready to take just yet. For all his hubris for teasing her earlier, the brigadier general felt like he was ready to crawl out of his skin. Yet, he dared to ask. "And the reason is?"

"Our…union," she hesitantly answered before breathing in a gulp of breath. "I'd wish to be prepared for when…it happens. You've much more knowledge and experience than I, so I don't wish to…look stupid."

Her words suddenly confused him and so he tore his face away from her hair, eyebrows meeting at the middle. "And the reason why you think I have a comprehensive experience regarding that is?"

Languidly, Riza shrugged, though the action was rather limited as Roy's grip around her form was still firm. "There's been talk in the academy. Let's just say that when it comes to discipline in that area, the men are more likely to falter."

"And you assumed I'm one of those men?" he asked, not entirely offended.

"Well, I mean…you played the Casanova act very well. Who knows if some of the 'dates' you had led to something else? Besides, it can't be true that those were _all_ information digs. Havoc said once that Hughes set you up with someone after Ishval," Riza said softly in a matter-of-fact tone that Roy was beginning to be troubled by. "The, uh, accuracy of your portrayal has to come from somewhere."

A long, quite exasperated sigh resounded from him, but he doesn't think he was truly irritated by what Riza was saying. "All right, let me clear things up. I have not engaged in any such acts whether back in the academy or thereafter. The date Hughes set me up with wasn't blonde so I left the date half an hour in and found him at Madame's bar."

"No need to pull my leg, Roy."

Rolling his eyes, he unwrapped an arm and tipped her chin towards him so their eyes met. "Do I look like I am jesting you?"

Riza's lower lip protruded as her eyes swept her husband's face. "Well, that is an incredibly immature reason to pull out of a date."

Roy raised his brow, slightly taken aback. "Immature it may have been but I sure as _hell_ do not regret doing it."

"Okay," she nodded, then set her head back down on her pillow.

He took in a breath and closed his eyes, burying his face on the back of her neck. It was such a bizarre situation to be in at the moment and it was beginning to grate on Roy. The alchemist certainly doesn't know how to approach maneuver the matter at hand, but he wasn't going to rely on his wife to get the ball rolling.

Swallowing his hesitance and the tiny amounts of cowardice that seemed to crawl back in, Roy took another breath and steeled his gut. His hand crept from its position on her arm down to claim hers, which clutched the bed covers. "Ri, do you want to talk about it?"

His question was meant by deafening stillness. The moment quickly turned into a stretched minute, and when Roy was about to give up the pursuit of that kind of conversation, Riza responded. "I don't know how to talk about it without sounding improper."

A small smile turned his lips some fraction upward. "How about we not worry about impropriety for the meantime? I mean, we have already seen each other at our worst. Let's lengthen the list and see each other at our most vulnerable. We have, after all, already passed the point of judgment. I know we'll both take each other as we are, no matter the circumstance. It's why we work so well together and why we are the only ones for each other."

"Only you have the ability to romanticize a conversation about sex, Roy-kun."

Her lighthearted statement elicited a chuckle from him and Roy was glad that she was becoming comfortable with the idea. "I'll consider putting it on my curriculum vitae," the Junshou quipped.

It was Riza's turn to chuckle. "All right. I'm ready. Let's talk."

* * *

A/N: Venus in Yrsania is a parody title I made based on the erotic literature published in 1889 called Venus in India. lol

Thank you for taking the time to read! Please let me know about what you think! I'll see you all in the next installation! x


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Right-o! This chapter is the reason why this story is rated as such. Innocent eyes, look away when you get to half of the story. Lol. Thank you for continuing to support this story! Enjoy some RoyAi sexiii tymz. Lol

* * *

The Hawk's Eye sat with her back against the headboard, a pillow propped on her crossed legs. Her opposite fingers were entwined with each other, thumbs twiddling to and fro. All these years of being on the battlefield and taking part in numerous heists, yet she had never been as nervous as she waited for her husband to finish brewing tea for their upcoming conversation.

Riza had never had an exchange of such nature with anyone. Sure, Rebecca might have gotten her into the deepest depths of erotic literature but such readings were purely personal, never to be discussed. Moreover, she had never sought the company of another person in an exclusive relationship. It wasn't possible when her heart beheld only one person behind its thick barricades.

Everything that was about to happen in the next hours or so would be uncharted territory; she felt awkward in her own skin. Riza doesn't know why she felt so self-conscious at having sex _with her own husband_. The blonde colonel knew of so many people, male and female alike, who engage in such acts of the flesh even before marriage. She was beginning to question her own mind why she, a person who was sure of herself (mostly), couldn't be the same.

After a few moments of sitting in her own awkward pity party, Riza decided that enough was enough. She resolved to swallow her inhibitions and just steel her gut for what was to inevitably come. She had stared death in the face far too many times to be skittish around the topic of sex. Besides, it was how she does lots of things in her life thus far; she could employ the same method of approach for this situation.

Which was why, when Roy came back into their room, her first words shocked both speaker and listener. "Let's just do it."

It took the brigadier general a tonne of willpower not to drop the tray that carried their tea and cups. Roy's narrow, slanted eyes widened considerably. "Excuse me?"

Riza threw the pillow off her and stood from their bed, facing Roy with a determined look on her face. "Sex," she said casually. "Let's just do it. More action, less talk."

His brows knitted and his eyes looked from side to side before they settled upon his wife. The colonel looked like she was about to take on a crime ring with her faithful rifle. She had that look that she has whenever she was confident about a target, moving or otherwise.

"At ease, soldier," Roy said tentatively. "Better yet; stand down, Taisa."

Riza's amber eyes rolled skyward. "I'm serious, Roy," she insisted. "And you better not be pulling rank _inside our bedroom_ , Junshou."

"The situation seemed to call for it."

Her doe eyes narrowed extensively. "No situation will _ever_ warrant you to pull rank on me. Do I make myself clear?"

The intensity of her tone took him aback and Roy swallowed his building dread. He was used to Riza scolding him for not doing his work when she was still under her command but none of those were as fierce as the last two statements she had uttered for him. _Maybe pulling rank as a joke is a bad joke._ "Aye, Ma'am. I apologise."

Vaguely, Roy Mustang surmises that should the council know of Riza's more _persuasive_ nature, she would be promoted to a rank higher than his. His wife's ferocity and fortitude as a soldier could easily rival Olivier Mira Armstrong's. Good thing she has a secret warmth that she only shares with a handful of people.

Roy watched as his wife sighed and sat back down on the edge of their bed. "So…" he started. "Where did that came from? I thought you wanted to talk about it first?"

Riza shrugged and took the tray from him, pouring them tea. " _You_ wanted to talk about it, as you have suggested it. I agreed thinking it was a good idea. Now, I change my mind."

"What? How can you change your mind so easily?" Roy queried, confused. He dragged the vanity chair and sat down on it so they were facing each other.

"Because I thought about it once more," Riza nodded, crossing her legs and sipping on her cup. "I figured that it would be futile to have a conversation about sex if we haven't done anything yet. Ergo, there is nothing to talk about…at least not yet."

"Okay, I concur slightly…but wouldn't it be helpful if we discuss what we know about sex first before we do it?" Roy asked. "I mean, you did say you wanted to be ready when it happens."

The sniper nodded and finished her tea. "I did say that, but then I considered the fact that one can never be truly ready for when it happens. Besides, what we know about sex is limited to what we have read in books. We can't be foolish to think that we can liken our future sex life to what is written in literature."

"Good heavens, no! Rape, incest, underage couplings, other freakish things? No, thank you," Roy exclaimed.

"Exactly my point, my King," she hummed, handing him his cup of tea. "Although we can admit that they have been helpful to…excite the mind…trigger imagination…create a want…build anticipation."

He took the proffered teacup and drank the beverage in one gulp. Roy wiped the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand and sighed. "And I suppose your next statement would be along the lines of…since we have no prior experience regarding this, we are to create our own?"

Riza tipped her head up a little, considering his point. "I might not have phrased it that way, but I think the bottom line is akin to what you said."

"Say, we agree to do it at a certain time," the alchemist started. "Don't we need to lay some…ground rules?"

The markswoman eyed her husband in caution. "Are you saying that if we don't, you're going to try something out of the ordinary?"

"No!" he was quick to refute. "Of course not! I wouldn't want to put us out of commission just because we tackled on something complicated the first time we had sex. Now, that will just wind up the rumor mills; certainly not going to help us keep appearances."

His mention of keeping their façade suddenly made her worry. Riza had heard of women showing a glow after engaging in physical intimacy, and news was quick to spread around the military. Her lip quivered and her eyes blinked, unsure if the conversation they were having was going in the correct direction.

Sensing her sudden unease, Roy laid a hand on his wife's shoulder and squeezed firmly. "Riza, you don't have to force yourself to be okay with all of this all of a sudden if you still aren't comfortable with the thought."

She kicked herself mentally and let out an exasperated sigh. Unable to find the words to respond to his words of comfort, the colonel merely nodded.

They spent the rest of the weekend talking about books they have already read. The genre of erotica was not once touched.

* * *

In the middle of the week, Riza had begun to notice what Roy had said a couple of nights ago. Rebecca _was_ monopolizing her during lunchtime. The thought came to her at the start of the week but she paid it no mind and merely dismissed it as coincidence. Then, it happened again, one lunch after the other.

While the colonel did not really mind spending her lunches with her best friend and adjutant, she wanted to have a chance to speak to Roy in the context of work. They have agreed not to take home work matters if they could help it but there was a nagging in her brain to check on her husband and how he was fairing with the paperwork.

"Ri, did you hear what I just asked?" Catalina queried, waving a hand in front of Riza's face.

Riza blinked rapidly and muttered a small apology.

"Right, since we're not determining the shoes I need to be getting for mine and Jean's date this weekend, let's talk about what's been bugging you," Rebecca decided.

"I'm fine, Becky."

Rebecca rolled her eyes dramatically. "Check who you're trying to fool, Ri."

Riza merely pursed her lips in response.

"It's not nothing, if it's making you stare out into space," Catalina reasoned before she took a sip of her juice. "What's up? Trouble in Mustang paradise?"

Amber eyes quickly caught her gaze and narrowed. "Not so loud, Becky. And, no."

"Well, it must be related to it if it's making your stoic mask slip off the slightest. None of the regular soldiers will notice but I do. And I'm sure he does, too."

With Rebecca's notice, Riza's mind scrambled for an explanation. Her thoughts were running amuck with Rebecca's _monopoly_ , among other things like potentially having sex with her husband. "Junshou asks why you're monopolizing me during lunch."

A perfectly groomed brunette brow rose. "That's what's going on inside your head?" she asked incredulously. "Gods, you two, I can never understand."

Riza's own brow rose when her adjutant silently lamented what seemed to be Rebecca misconceiving hers and her husband's relationship. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that you, two, worry over the smallest of details when it comes to each other," Rebecca said.

If she could wipe her brow in relief, she would have. Riza could never predict what would come out of Rebecca's mouth, and she seemed to have dodged another bullet that could very well shatter their façade.

"Anyways," Riza heard her adjutant start. "I can't have you be seen having lunch with Mustang since you are now out of his command. If you did, people would ask; people would talk. _Why are they having lunch together? Doesn't she already have her own unit? Is there something going on between them?_ "

The realization dawned on her like a rapidly rising sun over a darkened Earth. She and Roy never even thought about that. It was a good thing, then, that Rebecca manages to think outside of the box when the situation calls for it.

"It's why," Catalina continued. "Jean and I never have lunch together, too. Not to mention, again, you are now out of his unit. You have to let him do his own work. He can't keep on relying on you to see if he signed all the documents he needed to, or if he put the correct punctuation mark in the right place. Let him worry about his own work and you worry about our mission."

"I'll make sure he is clear on that," Riza nodded.

"Besides," Rebecca said with a smirk, nudging Riza on her side. "We, ourselves, must be actual examples if we are to lobby for a repeal to that stupid fraternization law thing. It must be us first who know how to draw the boundary between work and personal life."

* * *

As soon as Rebecca took her leave at the end of the day, Riza began filing away the new set of papers their team had accomplished. When she took on the task to restore Ishval, Riza knew that the job entailed numerous amounts of paperwork and logistics. Nevertheless, she wasn't rendered less tired by them with that realization in mind.

Sighing, she slumped back against her swivel chair and pinched the skin between her brows to relieve the tension that was starting to build. Riza closed her eyes for a few moments to soothe the pinprick sensation on her eyes. The day left her tired, what with going around Central to encourage key players in helping with the restoration. Having to deal with a variety of personalities in one day almost dried her patience and tact.

A knock sounded from her right yet she didn't even react, knowing who it already was.

"Hey."

"Hm."

Their clipped exchange made Roy frown and he angled his head better only to see his wife in such position behind her desk. His chest panged slightly at the view, Riza looking smaller than she usually is. He knew how difficult and frustrating it was for Riza to have their mission move at a slower pace than she had planned. The brigadier general let himself into her office, walking to her side and cupping her face.

"Are you all right, my love?"

"I honestly don't know."

Roy swiveled her chair so that she faced him and he knelt down before her. The brigadier general took her hands gingerly and squeezed them, placing a kiss on each set of fingers. Then, he pulled her down to join him on the floor and he engulfed Riza in an embrace, a hand going to her back to draw calming circles. "How about I make dinner tonight, draw you a bath, then give you a massage before sleep, hm?"

"It's my turn to cook, Roy."

"None of that, Riza," he hummed. "My duties…remember?"

Riza lazily tore her head away from its respite on his strong shoulder to look up at him. "Right."

"Come now. Let's go home. We'll walk together."

She frowned at his suggestion. "People will see us."

"Not if we take the path I take whenever I walk home. It's longer than usual, and I know you are already tired on your feet so I will just have to carry you if you stumble or something."

His words drew a small smile from her lips. "You're sweet, Roy-kun."

"So I have been told," he smirked.

Riza's lips pulled into a teasing grin. "By a lot more other women than myself, I am sure Mustang-Junshou."

A sneer and an exasperated sigh made Riza chuckle. "Must you, my darling?"

"You make it so easy."

"Well, then, I am reconsidering the offer of massage, Mustang-Taisa."

The blonde sniper snorted. "No, you aren't."

"No, I am actually not," he shrugged with a smirk before he pulled Riza up on her feet. "Anyways, the sooner we leave, the sooner we arrive home."

It turns out, Riza only needed to stretch her limbs and get some air that wasn't circulating about her stuffy office. Sure, they needed to pass by underground tunnels, but she didn't mind. The colonel appreciated the private time with her husband.

They talked as they made their way back home, as Riza shared Rebecca's thoughts and plans on the fraternization law. What surprised her was that Roy seemed to be in agreement with her adjutant, seeing as the two were usually at the opposite sides of the pole.

As soon as they arrived home, Roy held on to his promise and drew a bath for his wife before starting on dinner. Riza had to admit that she was beginning to like being pampered, not because she wanted another person to do things for her but because she saw how happy Roy was to be of service to her. She found the tiny smile on his lips far too adorable, but somehow, she knew that he wasn't even aware that there existed a content look on his face.

When the warm water caressed her skin, Riza couldn't help but let out an indulgent sigh of relief. The bath was just perfect to relax her weary body, the scent of their bathroom lulling her senses back to a state of calm. The ambience was quick to send her into a slight nap, only to be woken by the sound of her husband gently rapping on the door to let her know that dinner would be done soon.

The sniper looked towards the bath water and the rest of the bath before her. The scent of the aroma therapy oil that Roy had mixed in was almost intoxicating as it now clung to both the water and her skin. Riza stretched her legs and suppressed a shudder when the water tickled her skin. _How nice would it have been to share the space with Roy?_

Her own thought made her jump and Riza's eyes widened as soon as she replayed what she had said in her mind. The colonel couldn't pinpoint how such musing came about. Did she just long to share a space with her husband in such an intimate proximity with only their birthday suits on?

Riza stood up and unplugged the drain, watching the water whirl into nothingness. She may have been preoccupied with Ishval matters at work these past few days, but she did find herself thinking about their conversation during the weekend that had passed during idle times. The fact that they hadn't resolved anything yet, or come up with a plan was starting to grate on her nerves.

Roy might have said that she can have all the time she needed to get comfortable with the idea of them having sex, but she was getting impatient with her own self. It wasn't something that she can just expect to happen overnight. It was something that she needed to think about in copious amounts.

A small voice in her head pointed out that she already had thought about them potentially having sex, numerous times in the last five days alone. Try as she might, Riza couldn't avoid thinking about their future act of copulation in accordance to what she had read in her erotic novels. They may have been farfetched stories, but at least they provided ample imagery.

Given such, it would only be logical to assume that she was now comfortable with the idea. _Right?_

Now that she had accomplished the _thinking_ part, _doing_ was what was usually next. How Riza Hawkeye-Mustang will achieve that, she doesn't know as of yet.

* * *

An hour after their dinner found the army pair inside their bedroom. Riza lay prone on the bed with only her silk robe covering her posterior side. Roy hovered over her, warming up his hands with the massage lotion that he had opened. He was humming to himself as he did so, lost in such a mundane task that he was a little startled when Riza spoke.

"I think your hands are warm enough, Roy-kun," she softly mused.

A chuckle sounded from his lips and Roy tugged her robe down to reveal her back. The sight of her mangled tattoo was something he drank in so selfishly that he was silent for a few minutes. True, they had talked about the burning in copious amounts and he no longer felt guilty about it (at least not as much as he did before; it was a working progress), but seeing her back was something else entirely.

"Roy—"

"I'm fine," he was quick to assure her. The Junshou rubbed his hands together a last time before he set them against her skin, face hard as his bare palms met the rough patches of her scars.

Riza's breath hitched at the contact. It was as if the heat of his touch on her skin could rival the heat of the flames that he set upon her all those years ago. This time, however, there was no pain. There was only comfort, care, and tenderness. The colonel closed her eyes to swim in the foreign, yet welcome sensation.

The warmth of his hands was quick to crawl towards the rest of her body. Riza could not point how or why it was, but the memories of the phantom pains brought about by the burning was being replaced by how his hands traveled across the small expanse of her back. Pleasure was quick to permanently replace pain, and she had to admit that she was more than relieved for it.

With the introduction of his hands to her bare skin done with, his fingers pressed on the muscles of her tensed shoulders, drawing circles to ease the tension that has built within them. The markswoman was far too tempted to grit her teeth as he worked her knots undone but she knew that creating another tension in her body would counteract his handiwork.

Roy let his thumbs traverse her nape, pressing rhythmic movements to soothe her aches further. Riza's body felt like a tightly wound string that was to snap soon, if not given the proper treatment to unwind. The brigadier general was only glad to be of service. Soon, he was done with her upper back muscles so he now focused downwards.

It felt incredibly wrong to him to just suddenly knead her scarred flesh so he bent down and kissed every marred skin with his lips gently, as if uttering silent (yet unnecessary) apologies to her. Instead of more warmth, shivers were the one that creeped onto her skin as if he exalted their existence.

There was a tightening in his gut as he did so, but he continued to place more kisses on her back, not once minding the tattoo that was permanently inscribed on it. Riza was far more than the container of the notes that brought about his alchemy. She was his life's love and purpose; thus, he shall take her as she is without conditions or second thoughts. If it meant having to see the remnants of the pain he had caused her before, then he was going to force himself to be all right with it.

After all, their marriage was founded on the mutualism of their respect and cherishment of the other. There was no room, whatsoever, for selfishness such as getting caught up with personal guilt, far often and deeper than necessary.

As she laid down on their plush mattress, Riza could almost feel the tension growing in her husband. She knew that it was going to be hard for him to see her naked back once more, and if she there was something that could instantly take away his hardship, she would do it in a minute. Yet, the only thing she could do was to ease his mind off it.

"Want to know something?" she asked, voice almost a muted whisper.

Roy managed to tear himself away from her back, mouth replaced by his large, warm hands once more. "What's that, love?"

"I just…I thought about how nice it would have been if you joined me in the bath earlier."

"Yeah?" he whispered, voice low and gravelly. There was a rising anticipation in him, which he struggled to contain. "Maybe we should do that one of these days."

A blush crept on to Riza's cheeks but she paid it no mind. It was hard not to flush, with Roy's hands reducing her into mush along with his agreement to such an intimate activity.

The colonel felt her robe cover the top of her posterior body. She had to sigh a little when he took his hands off her, eternally grateful for his massage suggestion. It was helping her get rid of the hassle and toxicities of the day. She was going to have to ask for more of such in the future, she was sure.

There was a satisfied smile on her face as Roy continued to lay delightful pressure on her fatigued legs. Riza slowly entered into Zen as his fingers untangled the taut ties on her tired limbs. She couldn't help but ask Roy to do the process one more time as the colonel craved more soothing from his hands.

When he finished, Roy slowly let his hands slide to her thighs, careful not to make large, disruptive movements so he wouldn't startle his wife. He found several more strained muscles which he took great time in working to relief. The Junshou was focused on his work, not letting his mind wander into something else entirely since he knew Riza wasn't quite there on the same page with him just yet.

Try as she might to keep calm and collected, the complicated rhythm of movements of his fingers on her delicate thighs were stirring a growing frenzy within her. Her body heat had grown a little warmer as his hands tread dangerously close to her place of intimacy. Even with great effort, Riza couldn't help but want more of those touches in other, _obscured_ places.

"Roy…" she whispered into the pillow, hand going to clutch the cover of his pillow. "Can you…can you…touch me?"

She felt him still his movements at her request, but it was something that she was expecting. Once Roy had realized what she was asking, he cleared his throat and took a silent gulp of breath to calm his mind and formulate a cohesive reply. "A-Are you sure, Riza?"

The patch of skin where his immobile hands lay grew several degrees warmer and Riza's chest hammered, struggling to contain her quickening heartbeat. _It was now or never_ , the colonel thought. She knew she was treading that delicate line, the one that will send her over to the other side and never to return. Unlike the previous situations, she was more excited now than nervous.

And so, she rolled on their bed and laid on her back, revealing all of what she could to him.

"Yes, Roy. I am sure."

The look on her husband's face was far too comical to ignore. Roy's eyes were rounded as they stared hungrily at her. His mouth hung open slightly, depicting the astonishment he has for her. Never let it be said that Riza Hawkeye-Mustang wasn't one for the shock factor.

A corner of her lip turned up at his bewilderment and so Riza reached out a hand and took Roy's on hers. His hands were slick with the massage lotion, but they were invitingly warm and pleasant. The sniper tugged on his hand and squeezed. "Roy. Touch me."

Her repeated request wiped away the disorientation in him and Roy wordlessly nodded. He knelt beside their bed and let his hand lay on her chest. Closing in, he caught her lips in a soft kiss while another hand joined the one already on her skin.

Roy's large hands traveled in opposite directions, claiming her breasts individually. Her skin turned almost feverish at the contact and he almost was swept off his feet at the feel of her mounds perfectly enclosed by his manus.

When she felt his hands upon her flesh, a whimper escaped her lips, which he easily swallowed. Her skin felt aflame and she had to shut her eyes at the immensely overpowering sensation. The act only made her feel more of his rough skin on her breasts.

The slightest of his movements elicited a throaty moan from Riza and the colonel was almost embarrassed at the sound that she had made. Her husband was quick to take note of this, and Roy's lips pressed a smooch on the corner of her lips, as if a plea to let him hear more.

" _Oh_ …" Riza keened, voice escalating in pitch as he began to knead her breasts. The patterned motion was sending ropes of fire all throughout her body, making her skin flush more. However, she felt like these sensations terminate on one place only.

It was her core.

" _Roy_ …" she moaned, prolonging the singular vowel in his name in reaction to his fingers pressing her nipples and twisting them slightly. Instead of flames, sparks of electricity were now shocking her nerves, igniting her apex more and more. "Oh, _god_ …"

Her labored breaths and keening voice was drowning him in a pool of pleasured anticipation. It was as if he couldn't care less about his own satisfaction, and was merely preoccupied by what else he could do to coax such reactions from his wife. Watching her accept the pleasure from him enthralls him like how he is fascinated by watching fire dance upon his hands.

Said hands now left her breasts and wandered downwards to caress her toned stomach. Roy pressed his lips against her once more and was glad to feel her respond with such a ferocity that he hasn't ever witnessed before. The alchemist took a moment to tear himself away from her lips to look at her eyes. "Do you still—?"

"Yes, I trust you," she said even before he had finished his query.

Such were the words that floor him every single time she utters them. No matter the circumstance, no matter what happened in the past, Riza was always quick to assure that she trusts him fully and deeply. Roy knew that he would always strive to be deserving of such words.

"I love you, Riza," he whispered against her mouth.

"And I love you, Roy."

He claimed her lips once more, angling his head to deepen their twine. Roy let his hands wander down her body further, smiling as he felt her hands bury themselves into his dark mop of hair. When he needed to breathe, he let her go for the moment then let his mouth explore some more of her.

They settled on her neck, covering her skin with a multitude of kisses both fleeting and hungry. Afterwards, his lips dared to claim the shell of her ear, nibbling on the delicate cartilages that make it up. He let them go experimentally and then dug his face to the back of her ear, dropping another kiss indulgently. He felt the new maneuver made her stomach twitch, and so he placed a few more pecks on the sensitive skin.

Soon, her stomach was quivering and Riza was struggling to stay put on the mattress. She was worried that if she moved grandly, she would be out of his reach, thus ceasing all these pleasurable things he was making her feel. Even as a soldier with a highly trained sense of discipline, the calls of her flesh were far too potent to ignore.

Riza felt his hands inch closer and closer to her apex, and the excitement she felt only rocked her stomach further. Her back arched as they finally met her warm, sensitive womanhood. Her eyes flittered open and her mouth hung open, letting out soft pants. Riza has never felt such warmth against her centre, and it tore her apart whether to shy away from it or pursue it some more.

She was left without a space to make a decision when Roy suddenly parted her delicate folds with his fingers, then letting a fingertip trace her entrance. It was then she knew that pursuing the sensation was a much, _much_ more agreeable decision. Riza bit her lip and her breathing paused as he caressed her slit. Her eyes became hooded as her back finally relaxed, meeting their soft covers once more.

"Gods, you're still so beautiful when you look like that," he whispered against her cheek. Roy smirked slightly when he began to run his fingers up and down her labia, prodding here and there to know which stroke she liked best.

The sudden commencement of his fingers' dance on her pussy made her suck in a sharp breath. When she couldn't hold back her breathing anymore, Riza's mouth fell open with whimpers as Roy fiddled with her womanhood. Her legs rose from their slumber on their bed and her feet planted on the mattress to give him more room to explore.

He took the chance willingly. First, Roy moved from his place beside her and climbed their bed, settling between her legs. Then he laid on his stomach and resumed his exploration, two hands now working on her pussy. One hand parted her labia once more, and the brigadier general was delighted to see her entrance leaking out with premature juices to indicate her arousal.

Only a fool would resist to touch her then. His other hand flattened three fingers against her entrance, working her flesh up, down, and in random circles. Roy spread her pre-cum from her entrance to the whole of her heated pussy, lubricating his fingers for more ease of movement. Yet, he still refrained from touching her clit.

"Ah, _Roy_ …" Riza moaned, hands going to clutch the bed covers at her sides. There was something incredibly arousing to watch her husband so concentrated in giving her pleasure. It made the want in her system ignite a little more. "Roy… _Ohh_ , Roy…"

The colonel wanted nothing more than to let him know all these great things he was making her feel, wanted nothing more than to communicate how he was making her feel so _good_ with just a coordinated movement of his hands. However, her vocabulary was reduced to a chant of his name and other incoherent utterances that colour her keens and moans.

" _Roy!_ "

The yelp of his name from her lips bounced off the wall of their bedroom. Her back muscles flexed and Riza had to squeeze her eyes closed once the tips of her fingers finally grazed her clit. It felt as if she were numbed by and overloaded with stimulus all at once. Her knees wanted to knock together to keep him out but an unknown, prevailing force reduced her muscles to stillness.

His fingers left her entrance and sank down on her clitoris, sliding against her hood in circles. Like the alchemical genius that he is, Roy experimented on her bundle of nerves as her throat produced even more sharp moans and pleasured whimpers. She felt his fingers press on her clit to move it in almost any direction. The small motion sending sharper tremors to her core. " _Roy…_ Oh, god, Roy…Ah… _angh…_ Ah!"

Her hips flexed and met his ministrations automatically, and Riza's head thrashed at the result of what her body dictated her to do. Moisture collected at the corner of her eyes as the sensation on her clitoris spread to the whole of her body, almost leaving her overwhelmed. But, oh, how she craved for more!

" _Ah!"_

The small, piercing scream left her lips and flew to his ears, sending him a jolt of warmth. Roy was never more excited than at that moment when his wife was slowly losing herself to the power of her carnal pleasure. And by the gods, it strokes his pride sweetly as he knew it was because of him that she was this way.

"Feels good, love?"

"God, _yes_!"

The friction created by her hips grinding against his fingers quickened the tightening of the knot in her core. Like everything else that had happened, it was something that Riza was not yet familiar with but it was like a strong dosage of morphine when there was pain somewhere. It was addicting to feel but it was equally tempting to relieve herself of the pressure building up inside.

Several more drawn circles of his fingers on her clit and Riza was floored by the pressure that she willingly let the reins of what held it back go. Suddenly, she was swallowed by a tremendous wave of pleasure. Every neural end she had was on fire. Every muscle twitched violently. Her toes curled as her orgasm threw all method of thinking away from the window. She only _felt_ now.

His name fell upon from her lips, evolving from a lengthened version to a scream that climbed both in pitch and intensity the further she submerged herself into her pleasure. Riza's back arched gracefully from the bed as she erupted and Roy had to stay on guard, in case she edged far too close to the end of their mattress.

Their bedroom was filled with her pleasured screams. Roy felt like he was in a trance watching her as she convulsed in pleasure, and listening to her as she relentlessly and uncaringly cried out her indulgence. The alchemist found her flushed skin to be extremely beautiful. The way Riza's face contorted and the way her tantalizing body convulsed was definitely a realized fantasy.

His own breath hitched until she rounded on the last drips of her orgasm. Roy could only stare as her back gracefully settled on the bed once more, mouth falling open to relieve the shortness of her breath. It took everything in him not to ravage his wife then, so he took a deep breath before he approached her once more.

Not minding the wetness of their sheets, Roy pressed his body against her naked one and framed her head with his strong arms. The alchemist pressed a kiss to the side of her lips and then nuzzled his face into her neck. A smile crept onto his mouth as he felt her arms languidly wrap around his neck.

"Roy-kun?"

"Mm?"

"I want more."

She didn't know what overcome her to proposition him in such away. Maybe it was the leftover adrenaline that spiked her system after her first-ever orgasm. Maybe it was the sensations that she had felt prior to her release. Or maybe it was the hard poke against her thigh that she did not need to see to know what it was.

"More…more what?" he asked, voice gruff as the anticipation swirled in his stomach once more.

Under his weight, Riza managed to move her thigh and gently nudged his erection. It was a strange feeling to do so, but she was unable to help it now. It was as if her orgasm unlocked a door that held back so much repressed desire. "This…us."

The small movement was enough to make his own arousal known. Her words only confirmed this. Roy rose from his perch on her neck and he looked at her just to make sure. There was nothing but pure desire written on her face, and her honey eyes were slightly darkened with carnal hunger.

In one swift move, his shirt flew from his torso and was discarded to a random corner in their room. His pyjama bottoms followed suit. Reluctantly, Roy tore himself from her to caress his own arousal. If she were ready, then so was he. With one final look, he guided his member towards her entrance and slipped the head in.

As a soldier, she was trained to downplay any kind of pain that she was to encounter until medical help arrived to relieve them of such. However, she was fully unprepared to feel _this_ kind of pain when Roy slowly slid himself inside her. She stilled on the bed, hands going to his arms instinctively.

Her husband pressed his body against hers for some warmth, and his hands cupped her face. His thumbs drew mindless circles on her cheek in an attempt to soothe her discomfort. Riza need not open her eyes to know that Roy was looking at her with utmost concern.

"Riza—"

"Don't," she said, clipped and strained. "Don't stop."

"But—"

"I said don't."

Roy sighed, gritting his teeth as he let himself move a little more forward. The squeeze of her walls around his cock was almost too much to bear but the concern for his wife made it easy to ignore his pleasure for the moment. His hips went on some more until he felt something akin to a barrier tear apart.

Riza laid still, vaguely wondering if this was a mistake. The pain was piercing, something she had never experienced before; thus, she was not skilled to hide it. Her head turned away from him and she felt her eyes prick with tears. The pain and the uncomfortable pressure inside her almost made her want to kick him off her but she knew it was a necessary thing to undergo. Still, it didn't make the process easier.

"Breathe, Riza."

Nodding, she took his advice and began to inspire deep breaths, then let them out slowly, calmly. The pain was very slowly ebbing away, but it was, and that was what mattered. A few silent minutes passed before she felt capable to ignore the pain. Riza nodded to her husband, who slid out carefully and then re-entered her once more.

When their hips met once more, a sharp gasp escaped past her. Roy kissed her lips as he moved in and out of her slowly to distract her from her discomfiture. In between his pecks on her mouth, he would whisper sweet nothings just so she would be able to take her mind off the downside of losing her virginity.

It wasn't long before Roy felt a tightening at the base of his spine. He didn't indulge much in pleasuring himself but the rare times he did was enough experience to know that he was about to reach his climax. His chest panged at the thought of him peaking when Riza was obviously feeling anything but pleasure at the moment. So, he reached in between them and his thumb found the bundle of nerves he played with earlier.

Roy was glad that she asked him to touch her since he now knows how to pleasure her with his fingers. It made the process more bearable now that he would be able to satisfy her at the same time he lets himself go.

As she was far too focused in shutting out the pain she felt in her insides, Riza was surprised when Roy's thumb reclaimed her clit. However, she couldn't voice out any complaints since it was doing a decent job to dissipate the sting inside her pussy. Her mouth fell open as his thumb began to work on stimulating her nerves pleasurably once more.

The growls that came from the bottom of Roy's chest was something she didn't expect to hear, and she was surprised at herself when she found them extremely captivating. Riza focused on the motion of his thumb and the sound of his low grunts and she was soon chasing her own orgasm.

" _Riza_ …"

Her eyes rolled back when she heard her name, and she was swept off by her pleasure once more. In their tightness, her back managed to arch slightly, heels digging into their mattress. Her walls painfully yet pleasurable clamped down on his throbbing member, making Roy tip off the edge almost as soon as she did.

He couldn't help but growl when she squeezed him oh so tightly with her heated, snug pussy walls. The sensation was almost too much for him to bear so he pressed into her once more, burying deep to release his orgasm. His teeth sank down on the skin of her clavicle, in an attempt to not lose his mind over his climax.

Their labored breaths replaced their pleasured cries and growls. Roy dropped one more kiss on Riza's lips before he slowly slid out of her cavern. The alchemist shivered as his limp cock was met by the cool air of their bedroom and he quickly grabbed their duvet to cover their nakedness.

Roy was quick to engulf his wife in an embrace. He nuzzled his face into her hair and breathed in her scent. His arms felt her erratic heartbeat gradually slow down to its usual rhythmic thumping. The alchemist kissed the crown of her head and a hand went to lovingly caress her arm.

"My Queen, do you hurt?"

The sound of concern in his voice made her chest twang affectionately. "It's nothing I can't handle," she replied before letting out an indulgent yawn.

A chuckle reverberated from his chest. "That is such a Riza kind of answer."

Her brow raised and she looked up at him, a smirk upon her lips. "What else were you expecting?"

Roy returned her smirk and shook his head lightly. "Nothing; nothing at all. Anyways, we shall go to sleep. You look like you only have a few minutes left."

"Somebody made me tired," she playfully grumbled, burrowing into his naked chest.

Roy snorted and laughed lightly. "I'll make sure he'll repay you back in kind tomorrow, my love. Good night now."

"Good night, Roy-kun," she whispered into his skin. "And thank you."

"Whatever for?"

Riza kissed his chest softly before responding. "Everything."

His chest soared at her reply. It was too early to thank him for anything at all, but Roy wasn't going to refuse them. How can such small words turn him so emotional when it comes to the woman in his arms? Whatever the answer, he squeezed his eyes shut but he couldn't stop the tears from collecting in his eyes.

"You're worth it," he said softly, combing his fingers in her blonde hair. "You're worth it and I love you... So much."

"I love you, too, my King," she hummed sleepily, wrapping an arm around his torso. "So much."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Yeah, skip to like the second third of the story if you don't like reading lemons lol

* * *

There were three things that came to mind when Riza awoke the next morning. One, the sun was already streaming heavily into the room so it must have been around 8am already, two hours after her usual awaking time. There was a dull throb inside of her that was no doubt a result from the night previous, but it wasn't too uncomfortable. Lastly, the something in between her arms was definitely a _something_ and not a _someone_.

It did smell like her darling husband, though, so she figured he cleverly replaced himself with his pillow so that she wouldn't be disturbed from her slumber. Sighing softly, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and let out a yawn before she stretched on their bed indulgently. A small smile crept to her lips as the events of last night replayed in her mind.

Not only have they finally consummated their marriage, but Riza felt like they have bared everything to each other now. Furthermore, she felt as if she overcame such a great hurdle in her own self. There was something liberating in shedding everything and just offering herself up to Roy as he did the same in exchange. Riza couldn't exactly explain what it was, but it was a welcome change nonetheless.

"What are you smiling about?"

As soon as she heard his voice, the colonel covered herself with their blanket as if she were a criminal caught red-handed by the law enforcers.

"Go away, you sneaky goof," she grumbled, turning her head away so Roy won't see the blush on her cheeks.

The brigadier general chuckled lightly and shook his head, crossing his arms and leaning on the doorframe of their bedroom. "You are acting like I have never seen everything underneath the blankets last night."

"Last night was different," she scoffed lightly. All right, so maybe she wasn't _fully_ liberated; it was a working progress.

"How different?"

Riza pouted and huffed, pulling down the blanket to reveal her head. She looked up at her husband and blinked. "I don't have an answer to that. It just is."

"You're silly, my darling," he cooed before pushing off the doorframe and squatting down beside their bed. Roy laid a hand on her neck, thumb gently tracing the skin where her jaw met her ear. He looked at her endearingly before he leaned in to press a soft kiss on her lips. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Riza replied, a tiny grin making her lips quirk upward.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm all right," she said truthfully. "What time did you wake up?"

Roy shrugged lazily. "Not too long ago. I figured I'd make us some breakfast but I sensed you were awake. Tell me honestly; do you hurt?"

"There's a dull ache inside, like at the deepest part, but it's negligible. It's not as uncomfortable as I initially expected," Riza whispered, making room for him as he slipped under the covers.

Roy wrapped his arms around her and pressed another kiss on her forehead. "D'you want me to remedy that?"

Brown orbs looked at him directly, both curiosity and wonder present in those eyes. They blinked slowly twice before their owner cleared her throat tentatively. "What…uh, what do you mean by that?"

"I mean to suggest a little continuation of last night," she heard him say, and the words made her stomach quiver.

"A c-continuation?" Riza squeaked, struggling to keep her breathing normal. "How so?"

Roy nuzzled her nose and breathed in her scent. "I wish to… _taste_ …you. You smelt wonderfully last night and it made my mouth water. It kept me occupied before I fell asleep. I wonder if you taste how you smell. The novels I read said it's almost always the same taste and smell, but I want to confirm it for myself…if you'll let me, of course."

The colonel tried to draw in a large breath to keep her lungs from giving out. With her husband so close to her and making the small distance between their faces dense, her head felt a little lightheaded. Although, it may be, in part, due to his rather sudden suggestion.

"Well, I-I uh…" she started shakily before clearing her throat once more. "I suppose it's all right, but I don't think it's wise if we go beyond that this morning…"

Roy opened his eyes and Riza felt as if the atmosphere was twice thicker than it really was. How was he so damn _gorgeous_? "No matter, love. I just want to quell my thirst. No need for us to go all the way until your aching has completely gone."

"S-Sure then…now?"

The brigadier general merely let out a hum of confirmation before he tore his robe open and casted it to the side. He rolled the both of them so that his wife was underneath him. Tenderly, he seized her lips, and kissed her slowly. His hands claimed each of her own and he pinned them above her head. Roy deepened their kiss, letting his tongue caress the crevices of her mouth.

Riza's eyes fell close as she lay slack on their bed, falling enslaved by the actions of his tongue in her mouth. A growing warmth was spreading beneath the expanse of her skin, making her spine tingle. She felt tiny flickers of fire dance upon the tips of her fingers and the ends of her toes. At these heated sensations, she let out a small moan which Roy easily swallowed.

Soon, he left her mouth and trailed downwards, leaving a path of kisses and stopping only by her breasts. Roy focused on giving her mounds ample attention to get her further into the mood, which was an easy feat to do that morning. The brigadier general took a moment to tear himself away from his wife, leaving only his hands to work her breasts.

The sight that greeted him left him speechless and in awe. The dark of their room the night before certainly didn't allow him to fully indulge in the view of his wife at such a state. Riza's blush was not confined to her face or even up to her neck. There was a faint red that seemed to cover the whole stretch of her skin. Unable to help it, Roy seized her lips once more; and in contrast to the earlier kisses, this one was hungry.

"There is just no limit on how much you amaze me, is there?" he sighed dreamily against her lips. The alchemist retraced the path of kisses he left earlier and let his body sink further downwards, taking their covers with him as he went. His hands left her breasts and settled on her shapely waist. Roy grazed the skin of the side of her hipbone before sinking his teeth and delivering a bite on it.

The sharpness of his teeth's assault on her skin sent a jolt that made Riza grasp the edges of the pillow her head rested on. A soft hiss escaped her lips but it soon dissolved as his tongue soothed the assailed area. The markswoman waited with baited breath on his next maneuver.

Each hand traced each length of her thighs, and Roy could feel the shiver his wife tried to suppress. His hands felt the bumps on her sensitive skin due to the piloerection, and he had to smile to himself. It brings him an inexplicable mix of pride and glee that she was so responsive to his touches.

His hands settled on the back of her knees as he sought to open her up gingerly. Roy's heartbeat quickened as she let him part her legs without much of a hesitation. Her trust in him handling her the way he wanted sent his mind reeling, but he was set on executing things in such a way that she won't ever regret it.

"So, so ravishing…" he couldn't help but utter before he made another trail of kisses from one back of her knee. His thumb made sure to trace a similar path on her opposite thigh.

Her eyes hooded as soon as he laid his mouth on the inside of her limb and Riza's mouth fell open, letting out heavy breaths with each kiss. The heat began to pool on her core when she felt his lips inch closer to her apex and everything around them just melted away. It was as if there were only her and him now. She blindly reached for his pillow and slid it under hers so that she could watch him, anticipation building within her.

When his face was practically next to her zenith, her smell wafted to his nose and Roy felt his mouth water once more. He could liken it to a tangerine smell with a sizeable amount of peach. She smelt equal parts tangy and sweet, like a fruit whose nectar was stuck in between ripe and premature. In short, Riza smelt perfect and he could only imagine how delectable she would taste.

He lifted his head only slightly to take in more of her whiff before he pressed his lips on the top of her cleft, on the downy wisps of light blonde hair. Roy wound one arm around each of her thigh and he let her legs rest on his back to keep them open. His fingers parted her labia and the pinkness of her pussy was all the more inviting for him. Without a moment's hesitance, he darted his tongue out and traced her entrance.

As quickly as he did, Riza sucked in a breath and her eyes closed tight. His tongue was wet, warm, and firm with hints of delicate tenderness against her naked flesh. It had only been a mere moment when he had introduced his oral muscle on her cunt, yet she was already a happy victim of his devilish mouth.

All of a sudden, however, his tongue retracted from her flesh.

"What—"

"Relax. You're too wound up…tensed," he said.

Riza merely nodded, unable to say anything. The sight of his head in between her thighs was a view that was beyond the wildest of her fantasies. She took a few deep breaths and relax her back, her thighs following suit.

When he saw that she had loosened up once more, he dipped his head back and took a whiff of her once more before he let his tongue out and licked her slit. Roy repeated the action a few times until she started to whimper. His index fingers stretched the sides of her entrance a little more and plunged his tongue into her cavern.

"Oh!"

Delighted at her reaction, Roy swirled his tongue against the walls of her pussy, pressing and prodding in no particular pattern. He heard her whimpers escalate into throaty groans as he began to create friction between two highly-lubricated fleshes. Roy pressed into her further and curled his tongue upwards, hitting a spongy spot that was approximately at the back of her exposed clit.

" _Roy_!"

Her exclamation of his name made the corners of his open mouth lift upwards. For sure, the alchemist looked most silly as such but he had nary a concern. Roy was too busy driving his wife to the walls. Humming slightly, the brigadier general let the tip of his tongue strike the newly discovered spongy spot in haphazard circles and slapdash lines.

Her head started thrashing when her movements became a little more hurried and far more urgent. Riza's toes curled, pinching a spot or two on the skin of his back. There were many heated ripples moving about her skin, making her grit her teeth as he pressed her further and deeper into the throes of her pleasure. His tongue was both soothing and exciting on her flesh that she felt more than just her stomach quivering under its motions.

" _Roy…_ " she moaned his name indulgently, the monosyllabic word lengthened as her gratification intensified. Riza arched forward when he burrowed deeper into her pussy, her core searing with an intense heat that she didn't feel last night. Her hands left their grasp on the pillow and settled on his hair, fingers sliding amongst his strands.

Moisture collected beneath her shut eyes and the colonel struggled to resist the force of her climax. Every time his tongue drew arbitrary patterns on her spot, she felt as if she was going to combust. A few more of his tongue slashing her flesh sent her over the edge and Riza felt as if she was consumed by his fire, though this was the kind of fire that she could be obsessed with.

" _A-Ah_ , _iku_!"

Right after he heard her announce her orgasm, Roy gripped her thighs in preparation of what was to come. He made sure his mouth stayed latched onto her cunt as his wife arched off their bed to make way for her release. Her come came in a single, almost catastrophic wave that had him almost drowned. The alchemist opened his mouth to drink her juices, swallowing hastily so he would waste very little of her sweet nectar. Roy hummed in satisfaction when she relaxed back into the mattress.

"O-oh my…" Riza drawled, gasps following her breathless words. Her chest rose up and fell down in a pace that would have been alarming if it weren't for the event that preceded it. Running a hand down her sweaty face, the colonel shivered as she felt the cool air of their bedroom against her heated skin.

"That felt good?"

"Great," she corrected, voice languid.

Roy rubbed the junctions of her thighs and pussy with his hands and smirked. "Good, because I'm not done."

Her brown orbs popped open to let her see the devious look on his smug face. However, her mind was still a mush of endorphins for it to make any sense to her. "H-Huh?"

Riza caught one last smirk from him before the view of his face was replaced by his dark mop of hair. A strangled cry escaped her throat when he blew a hot breath on her still-tingling pussy. _He can't possibly—_

"Oh, g-god!" Her own pleasured wail disrupted her barely coherent train of thought when he flattened his tongue against her clitoris. Her hands reclaimed their grip on his hair. The splashing sounds his tongue was making as it grazed her nub was so indecent that she felt her body temperature rise once more. "Fuck. _Fuuuuck_ , _Roy! Ah!_ "

His eyes remained open, watching her as her face contorted to depict her pleasure. The tip of his tongue ran up and down her bundle of nerves, as if waking it up. Soon, her true clit erected from its hood and Roy pressed on the sensitive button. He felt her hips retract slightly but his arms tugged her close and back in place.

There was a protest forming on her mouth as the sensation of her tongue became too much to bear. It was like a thousand nerve endings being electrocuted all at once, but her protest thawed into nothingness as his strong muscles pulled her back to his tongue. Her vision blurred then she started seeing double as his tongue drove the naked clitoris in random directions.

Her fingers tugged a little more on his hair and her legs went from resting on his back to locking around his neck. Roy's wicked mouth had her completely enslaved, but she couldn't bring it in herself to complain. Riza wasn't sure if she wanted to.

His ears perked when she let out an unbridled scream when his mouth replaced his tongue. Her creamy thighs seemed to have tightened their loop around his neck but he didn't mind one bit. It only meant she was leaving him no room to escape giving her the pleasure that she deserved. And so, he went to work.

The slicking noises of his mouth suckling on her clit was joined by her pleasured sobs. Soon, their bedroom was filled with a cacophony of explicit desire as he began his task to send her flying to oblivion once more. Roy ravished his wife's cunt, the whole of his head moving in rhythm with his mouth as he sought to stimulate the whole of her apex.

"Fuck. Fuck. _Ohh, fuck_. _Roy…just…_ don't stop, _don't stop_! _Ahh_!"

Her hips rose slightly as the familiar, scorching heat erupted in her core. The reactions of her body to Roy's wicked mouth was already beyond Riza's control and she didn't bother reclaiming it. Instead, she willingly submitted to the urge of releasing the tension that was begging to snap within her.

" _Junshou!_ " she screamed as she came, convulsing on their bed as Roy kept her in place with his arms. His mouth never left her cunt as she rode her climax, movements slowing down into gentle tugs and tender swipes of his tongue until she comes down from her high.

Roy kissed the insides of her thighs before he wiped his chest with the nearby sheet. He certainly didn't expect a second release from her but it was certainly something that utterly fascinated him. Crawling back to his side of the bed, he wrapped an arm around his wife and pressed a soft kiss on her lips.

"You know…" he started.

Several pants escaped her mouth before Riza yawned to take in more oxygen that her lungs definitely needed. It didn't surprise her that her voice was both breathless and scratchy when she spoke. "What?"

"Screaming my rank like that when you came is like the stuff dreams are made of," he crooned into her ear. "I think I might just go crazy when I hear you call me that at work."

Riza buried her face into his neck, smelling a sultry mixture of his sweat and hers. "Let's keep it very modest at work, please."

The brigadier general harrumphed and then smirked. "But of course. I wouldn't want any other man to hear how sexy you sound during sex."

Heat crept to her neck and cheeks. "Stop talking so uncouthly."

"Fine, fine," he acquiesced, even if the smug expression remained on his face. "How about we take a nap? We're not in a hurry to do something today, and I already fed Hayate."

"Sounds good."

"Mm. I was thinking maybe we can grab some brunch later," he mumbled softly.

Riza lazily raised her head to look at him directly. "Like together?"

"Yes, love, together."

She furrowed her brows slightly. "But we can't be seen together."

"Yes, we can. Look, I plan on announcing our engagement when your grandfather transfers his duties to me—"

"Wait, _announce_?!" The colonel was awoken now, and she leaned slightly away from him to better make sense of what he was saying. "You're going to announce it?!"

Roy looked to the side and puckered his lips. "Maybe announce is a poor word choice. Maybe, _insinuate_? I don't know. Look, my plan is that you're going to be sporting an engagement ring in the inaugural party and we'll let the rumor mill do its job. The plan of having a quiet and private ceremony with just family and friends still stands, my love. So, don't you worry about that. No public coverage, no media, no anything."

"All right, good," she said, settling back against his warm chest. "Back to your main point, Roy-kun?"

"Right, so. As I was saying, we can be seen in public together. Like maybe once or twice a month. In the eyes of the public, our relationship needs to have some sort of foundation before the engagement-then-ceremonial-wedding thing happens. We can't just pop out of the blue and say we're engaged to be married. There needs to be some kind of build up," he said.

Riza closed her eyes and sighed. "And five years being suspected of fraternization isn't enough of a build up for you, husband dear?"

Huffing, Roy combed her blonde hair with his fingers. "I just want to paint us in a good light. We never went out together alone unless we were wearing uniforms back when you were under my command. They would never have any sufficient evidence of fraternization simply because nothing really happened then. Now, though, we can go out in civilian clothes together for a meal or even a whole day under the guise of courtship. No one will suspect we're already married as long as we act awkward and aloof around each other in public."

"So, Little Roy-boy and Tiny Rizi then," she concluded.

"Yes, but no bow clips on your hair and suspenders on my pants."

Riza smiled gently. "Mm, I kind of liked those suspenders."

"The answer is already a staggering 'no' even before you ask, Mustang."

"Tsktsk. Such a buzzkill," the blonde grumbled.

"Anyways…yes to brunch?" the alchemist queried.

"Yes to brunch."

* * *

Two cups of coffee later and the Flame Alchemist was still letting out huge, uncontrollable yawns. It didn't help that the rest of his unit seemed to be under the same sleepy spell that he was under. Sighing, he ran a hand over his face and rested his cheek against his palm. It was far too early in the morning to be in the Central HQ but their job requires them to do so.

It was the day when they were expecting the Briggs forces to come to Central for joint exercises. Old man Grumman had called for an assembly at six in the goddamn morning to brief them of what would happen in the next few weeks or so. If it were up to him, he would have just circulated a newsletter as the publication could very well be enough for the Führer's announcements.

"Havoc, go do something stupid," he lazily mumbled, scrawling his signature on one of the documents on his table. "Like set off a fire alarm or something."

The man in question popped his head up languidly to look at his commanding officer. The now-First Lieutenant knotted his brows and hung his mouth slightly open. "I'm not going to do that, Chief. And why would you even ask that of me?"

"Fuery would be to cowardly to do it. Falman would be nervous to do something potentially dangerous. Breda's expertise doesn't include those types of things," Roy explained, stirring his empty coffee mug. "That leaves you to do the bidding, Havoc. Besides, we could just blame it on your carelessness or something."

Havoc rolled his eyes and went back to the paperwork he was struggling to check. "If you are so bored, Chief, why don't you go bother the Colonel next door?"

Blinking lazily, Roy shook his head and sighed. "And find several bullet holes on my head in the next minute? No, thank you."

"Doubt she'll even aim her gun to you, Junshou."

"Oh, she does that quite a lot when she's annoyed with me," he groaned crossing his arms and laying his head on them. "Besides, that girlfriend of yours will throw me out even before I could open my mouth so that's not even an option in the first place."

Jean chuckled and filed the piece of paper away on his _finished_ pile. "I wasn't aware you're scared of Becky, Chief."

A snort sounded from the Flame Alchemist. "I'm not afraid of her; she just annoys me so much."

"I think the feeling's mutual, though," Jean quipped, pulling another document to check. "I do know of another person in the next room whom you have mutual feelings for."

"She'd appreciate it if we don't talk about it so trivially, Chuui," Roy hummed, closing his eyes.

"Else, you'd run crying to her, Chief?"

"Yes," he answered without even a moment of reluctance. "And you wouldn't like the consequences, Havoc. I'll just be in the corner laughing my ass off."

"It's serious then, finally?"

Roy brought his head up to look at the room and found his unit looking towards him, expecting his confirmation. "Why the sudden interest, minna?"

Breda, Falman, Havoc, and Fuery exchanged looks before the blonde lieutenant shrugged and hummed. "We just wish to extend our congratulations."

"You're sappy, the whole lot of you," he quipped, raising a brow. "Who's running the bets?"

Heymans cleared his throat and smirked. "Truthfully speaking, Chief, there's no betting pool. We just knew."

"Knew what?" Roy queried, wrinkling his brows.

Havoc clicked his tongue and rocked back on his chair. "Oh, please, Boss. We're all men here. Even the Kain picked up on the signs between you two."

"And you talked about us behind our backs?"

"N-Nothing bad, Sir!" Fuery was quick to assure. "It was just that the dynamic between Hawkeye-Taisa and yourself was something beyond professional relations."

"Look, nothing happened between Hawk—"

"We know that, Sir," Falman interjected with a nod. "Just by knowing Hawkeye-Taisa alone, we know that you two never did anything that went against the Military's code of conduct. She is very much goal-driven to have fallen from the path she had chosen."

Roy nodded, glad that his team seemed to be understanding of them both, in their own twisted way. The Flame Alchemist looked at the four men in the room before sighing softly. "I learned everything I know about alchemy from her father; I've known her since she was four, basically the majority of our lives."

Falman put his hand against his chin, expression thoughtful. "That explains a lot then. You simply weren't close friends. You were childhood friends."

"Indeed."

* * *

The rest of the day was pretty much a whirlwind for Roy as he buried himself in paperwork and Xing-related meetings. The brigadier general exerted extra effort to avoid running into Olivier Mira Armstrong in the hallways when the arrival of Briggs' forces was announced all throughout Central HQ.

However, his luck ran dry when the day ended, and a knock sounded on his office door. The junshou had dismissed his team an hour before and had hoped that the extra hour would allow him to ensure that Olivier has already left the building. Apparently, that was not the case when the now-Lieutenant General let herself into the room.

Before he could even speak, Olivier did. "Meet me in the second to the last conference room in the west wing, near the exit to the firing range. I have personally secured the area and no one is left in the west wing. Bring Hawkeye-Taisa with you."

Roy raised a brow at her odd behavior. "Am I getting an explanation, at least?"

"You'll know when you two get there. Now, be quick about it, and make sure absolutely no one follows you."

The Junshou could only stare as his superior officer walked out of his room with a flourish that accompanied her when she entered. Sighing, he collected his belongings and locked the room before going to the adjacent one. Roy raised his fist and poised to knock on the door before it opened and revealed Riza's team set on clocking out of work.

They saluted him crisply before their single file dispersed into the hallway and turned to let themselves out of the building. Roy closed the door behind him and smiled at his wife, setting his briefcase on one of the tables. "I'm not here for anything else but to extend summons."

"From whom?"

Letting out a huff, Roy walked to the window behind Riza and carefully peeked outside, making sure that he wasn't visible to the people exiting the Central HQ. "Olivier, my love. She didn't give me a reason. She merely said to meet her in the second to the last conference room in the west wing, near the exit to the firing range."

A brow raised as Riza realized which conference room the Chuujou wanted to meet them in. "That's the conference room filled with numerous bookshelves, enabling for almost no sound to come out. What could she want us there for?"

Roy rolled his eyes and an annoyed expression occupied his face. "Probably our murder, for all I know."

"Then why am I included, then?" the colonel mumbled, collecting her bag and watching as Roy picked up Black Hayate.

"Whatever, let's just go. I don't want to spend any more time than necessary in a meeting with Armstrong."

Riza shook her head and led them out of her office. "Armstrong- _Chuujou_ ," she stressed. "She is two ranks above you."

"I don't really care, Ri."

The colonel could only sigh at her husband's petty, childish behavior towards the female general.

As expected, Olivier was waiting for them inside the indicated conference room. Even if she had been in Central for a few hours now, her winter coat was still very much on her shoulders. The female general occupied one end of the table, and Roy sat on the opposite end, wanting to gain distance from her as much as possible. Riza sat by his right.

"I'll get straight to the point only because I don't wish to spend any minute with you more than necessary, Mustang," Armstrong stated, sitting back against the chair she occupied. "I need your help to repeal the fraternization law."

The Lieutenant General's request shocked the couple into silence and Roy looked hard towards the blonde opposite him before sparing a quick glance towards his wife. It took him a minute to recover from his stunned state, and turned back into his borderline-bastardly banter with Olivier.

"The frat laws? Why? Who are you going to bed, Olivier?"

Before the woman in question could even open her mouth to answer him, Roy shrieked in pain when his wife kicked him under the table. The brigadier general shot his wife a pained look, complete with a full pout on his lips. However, he remained speechless.

"I apologise for the Junshou's inexcusable queries, Armstrong-Chuujou. Please continue."

"What I am about to tell you is a well-kept secret amongst our family but the person involved does not know just yet so I would appreciate it if you kept this among us three," Olivier warned, eyeing Roy in particular. "Else, I will castrate you with my sabre, Mustang."

The brigadier general rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "The hell are you singling me out for, Olivier?"

"Reasons," she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Anyways, there's no better way to say it than just stating it directly so…"

Roy held back the impudent retort building in his mind as he noticed Olivier's haughty demeanor liquefy into something like dejection. Even the Flame Alchemist who sets out to antagonize her at almost any chance he gets was rendered silent just at the sight of her shoulders dropping and her face turning grave.

Under the table, Olivier's hands shook so she clasped them together. "For the longest time, my youngest sister has been living a lie. Simply put, she is my daughter. I…I got involved with a military man when I was in my late teens and one thing led to another…"

The silence in the room was as thick as the bookshelves that covered its walls. When Olivier sensed that neither of the two were going to say anything regarding her revelation, she continued.

"Of course, it was the scandal of the worst kind, at least in the view of the Armstrong family. My father ordered for anyone who knew not to breathe a word of it to anyone else. Those who did would be killed. My mother had to act pregnant and I had to live in the North in isolation until I gave birth. My father sent me to the military academe as soon as I recovered and made sure I was stationed away from Central so I wouldn't reveal the truth to Catherine. Father also made sure to station him away from me so we wouldn't repeat the so-called fiasco."

She swallowed as the thoughts of her muddled past came back to her in small scenes and chopped episodes. Olivier took another breath and her gloved fingers fiddled against each other. "The reason I brought this on all now is that my parents are getting old. Soon, they will no longer be able to function properly as Catherine's parents. And of course, my goal to claim her and care for her as my daughter never wavered. I figured that abolishing those laws will allow me to do that while keeping my— _our—_ careers."

After her monologue, Roy couldn't contain interjecting anymore. "Wait, so you mean to say this…military man…of yours is still active?"

"Yes, he is. He is also a high-ranking official in the South City. He and I have long planned for this, and now seems to be the right time as the government is undergoing reforms. No more homunculi, no more Bradley. Lt. General Fender and I have agreed that being together as a real family is what's best for our daughter," Olivier nodded.

"Alonzo Perseus Fender-Chuujou, Olivier? You Armstrong women really have a thing for the hunky chunkies."

" _ROY!_ " Riza exclaimed, eyes bulging out and foot delivering another blow to his shin, eliciting another yelp from the alchemist.

"I am very tempted to court martial you just for that remark, Mustang."

"Oh please, it will be just like bringing my own wife to court just because she called me by my first name…at…work…"

Riza's eyes widened just a fraction more at his loose mouth and the blonde colonel had to wind her hands together to avoid slugging the man in his jaw. On top of it all, they ached to reach towards her holster, and ached to make herself a widow.

Silently, she laid her forehead against her tightened knuckles and asked for whatever divine intervention was out there to give her back the last few minutes of her life so she could sew her husband's mouth shut.

Olivier Mira Armstrong's eyes twinkled at the revelation and her fingers tapped rhythmically on the oak table. "Well, now, it seems like we have secrets of our own, Mustang. Or should I say Mustangs?"

Feeling the need to soften the blow he landed on himself, Roy looked towards Riza before glaring at Olivier. "Well at least we haven't an illegitimate child we're passing off as a sibling!"

Riza's ears flared at his statement and she stood up, easily twisting her husband's arm. "Roy, would you stop talking as if your arse is in your mouth?!"

Olivier sipped her tea as she watched Riza threaten to dislocate her own husband's shoulder. A smirk formed on her lips and she hid it behind her cup. It amused her greatly to see the annoying upstart of a Junshou sport a gravely admonished look sponsored by his firecracker of a wife.

"I'm surprised you haven't put a bullet between his eyes, Hawkeye-Taisa."

Roy opened his mouth but as soon as Riza turned to him, his teeth clacked shut.

Riza threw her husband one last hard glare before sighing and shaking her head. "Believe me, Chuujou. The thought crosses my mind several times a day."

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, then soothed the growing tension on her occipitals. "Anyways, we'll be assisting in every way we can, Chuujou, even if we cannot commit immediately. I have the Ishvalan restoration on my plate while Junshou has foreign relations coming up to resolve. I can, however, lend you my adjutant from time to time as she is also a willing proponent for the change in frat laws."

"Any word whether the Führer is for or against the idea?"

The kicked puppy expression on Roy's face was soon replaced by a smug look, making him look awkward with his arm seized in a locked twist. "I can tell for sure that he is _not_ against it."

"How so?"

"Well, he kept on telling me for years to just get up and marry his granddaughter already."

The statement made Olivier pause and a brow raised slightly as she assessed the situation. Certainly, Roy wouldn't have brought it up if—

"Taisa, you are related to Führer Grumman?"

"Directly related, if I may," smugly answered the colonel's husband. "Sole daughter of his sole daughter, if you will."

The Lt. General's eyes bugged slightly before she composed herself once more. "Well, this is easier than I expected then."

"Certainly," Roy crooned.

"And it makes me feel extremely assured that I know two of your secrets now."

Although not affronted, Riza looked at Olivier curiously. "Sorry?"

"The revelation of your marriage pales in comparison to my reveal of my daughter. Your relation with Grumman somehow compensates for it, no offence."

"None taken. I—We— wouldn't have had kept it if it weren't a delicate matter."

"I understand completely," answered Olivier, as she stood up and grabbed her sabre.

The brigadier general stood up hurriedly as soon as Riza released his arm. "Wait. Didn't Alex arrange for Catherine's suitor just a few months ago?"

His question made Olivier stop. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes in both frustration and anger. "Did he?" she asked in a dangerously low voice.

"I apologise if it's not to your knowledge, Chuujou," Riza offered softly, eyeing the other blonde in concern.

"Make no mistake. Alex is as soft-hearted as he is, and naturally, he is afraid of our father so he does whatever father wills most of the time. It sounds like my father still wishes to get rid of Catherine by marrying her off to just somebody," the female general explained.

Riza frowned deeply at Olivier's statements but she could only let out a heavy sigh, watching as the normally stoic and lofty Olivier Mira Armstrong woefully excused herself from the conference room.

* * *

They walked Roy's way of getting home and the uncomfortable silence grated on the brigadier general. Every time he would strike up a conversation with his wife, she would give non-committal hums or ignore him completely. It continued till they were inside their flat, and Riza disappeared to the bathroom. Roy took it as a cue to start dinner.

Her silence continued throughout the night and Roy began to rethink the events of the whole day just to know whether he had wronged her in any way. When mere introspection didn't work, the alchemist turned to his wife to ask what was wrong.

"I—"

"I cannot believe how immature and outright disrespectful you were to Armstrong-Chuujou earlier!" she bellowed all of a sudden, making his heart jump and in a nervous way.

Roy swallowed as he watched Riza storm towards his direction, face livid and fists tightly clenched. There seemed to be a hurricane that aided her step and the brigadier general took an unsteady step back towards the counter. He closed his eyes and braced for impact, expecting a jab to his face.

None came.

He dared open his eyes and saw his wife shaking in fury before him and he stuttered out an apology. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and on his temple, and they slithered down his skin the longer he was under her fuming gaze. Roy was wise enough to stay silent until she had finished berating him.

"The Chuujou came to us for help, for aid in her troubles, hoping that she would come to an understanding with us but you've chosen to ridicule her not once, but thrice!" Riza roared. "I don't know what came over that impish head of yours to say those things, Roy, but I am more than just disappointed in you! Do you have any explanation for your dastardly actions earlier?!"

His jaw tightened as he scrambled for a way to vindicate himself. Before he could, Riza turned on her heel and stormed towards their bedroom. "B-But, Ri, Olivier didn't m-mind. I…uh, I m-mean if she did, do you think I would be alive right now?"

The sniper faced her husband and shoved him away roughly as he tried to catch her in an embrace. "That's not the bloody point, Mustang!"

Roy stood still for a few moments as Riza shut the door to their room. The feeling of extreme guilt overcame him and he lazily walked over to the sofa, burying his face in his hands. His schoolyard banters during their meeting really were uncalled for. Roy was starting to realise the gravity of Olivier's situation, and the selfless courage that urged her to seek help from them when she couldn't take care of the matter anymore.

On top of it all, he made Riza furious. It was probably what caused him the discomfort most. Shutting the lamp, he curled on the cushions of the sofa in an attempt to make himself fit in it. Roy barely got the chance to sleep soundly that night, with his head running several miles a minute.

Which was why he found himself knocking on the door of Olivier's temporary office first thing in the morning.

Miles let him in but every subordinate soon left when Armstrong commanded them to.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Roy bent his waist and bowed, closing his eyes as he did. "I apologise for my discourteous words and blatantly disrespectful insinuations yesterday, Chuujou. They are inexcusable, and you can rest assured that they will never happen again."

Olivier sat stunned at the gesture and her breath hitched as Mustang _voluntarily_ offered to lower himself in front of her. Ever since they met, it seemed that the alchemist didn't mind whether there existed a rank difference between them. He always set out to annoy her, but she was quick to dismiss him because reacting would only goad him further.

Yesterday, however, was a different story when he poked fun at her life choices. If she didn't need their help, she really would have dragged his puny arse to court. "At ease, soldier. Think nothing of it anymore. Did your wife put you up to this?"

Roy straightened himself and looked towards the window, following to dot the military conduct for looking at a superior officer when they were smaller than one was, or situated lower than oneself. "No, Ma'am. She has no knowledge of this."

"And drop the formality. It makes me sick," Olivier grumbled. "Never thought I'd see the day you'll be lowering yourself to anyone…save for your wife, maybe."

"The old me wouldn't have apologised but Riza is more than enough reason to always become a better man," he said, staring forlornly at the floor.

The female general brushed her long fringe to the side. "We all have our reasons to be better."

Roy gave her a knowing smirk and nodded. "Indeed."

* * *

A/N: Bowing as a gesture...I know it's more commonly done in the Orient, but remember that the universe of FMA happened in the early 20th century so this is still much a thing in the West, albeit it was more common in the elite. I really research little things like this because I want this to be as accurate as possible! Teehee. Thanks for reading, as always!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Consider this chapter a filler. lol but at least the Ishval deployment is coming soon!

* * *

The weight of her pen in her hand was starting to become heavier than it really was the longer she read the paperwork before her. While she was already used to the seemingly endless number of documents, the work she did under Roy's command wasn't something as monotonous as reading and re-reading reports and signing her name at the bottom of the manuscript.

Riza took a breath and laid the scribbler down, stretching the muscles in her hand. Thankfully, her team weren't slackers nor were they deliberate troublemakers like her former workmates. An almost invisible smile tugged at her lips as she observed her subordinates concentrated on their individual tasks. Sometimes, she just wanted to smother her grandfather in a hug for spoiling her with them, but that just means that the old man won this round of cunning and she would never let him claim victory.

Sipping her cold tea, she grabbed the memorandum delivered that morning and skimmed through the pieces of paper that contained the schedules for the joint exercises the following week. The colonel highlighted her subordinates' names just so she can keep track of who will be out of their office at which time.

"Team," she said, addressing them casually. They all looked up to her crisply as soon as they heard their voice. "I would trust you to do your part in making sure we finish the last bits of our paperwork this week by tomorrow. Hopefully then, I or Catalina will deliver them to the council for the last rounds of deliberation. We will be given a week off to individually prepare for deployment to Ishval."

"Do we have a date set, Taisa?" Heinkel asked, readjusting his oculars on his nose.

Riza pursed her lips. "Nothing particular but the council is eyeing the third week of the following month. I suggest you settle any personal matters you need to attend to. Our team will be needed in the desert constantly, unless of course an emergency arises. Then again, we all know that now."

"Aye, Ma'am."

"Another matter is that I trust you to endorse any work you will be leaving if it is your turn in participating in the joint exercises. I won't be here to supervise as I am needed for Weapons Training, so I expect all of you to cooperate and follow our system to dot," Riza nodded in instruction.

"Darius and Heinkel, I see you are needed to assist in Hand-to-Hand Combat Training," she said, looking over her two chimera subordinates. "How are your ends looking with regards to our mission?"

The two men nodded almost simultaneously. "Nothing to be worried about, Taisa. We're ahead of the timeline. Just needs your final proofreading and signature."

"And the people you were tasked to talk with, did they agree to help us?"

Heinkel nodded and showed her the letters of confirmation coming from the volunteers. "All but one, Taisa, but I think we can make do without the stingy bugger."

Riza rolled her eyes at the realization of whom Heinkel was referring to. Some days ago, she sat down with a public doctor who was known for helping the poorer people of Amestris. However, her clientele didn't seem to include the Ishvallans, and it took Riza every ounce of her restraint not to claw the woman's face off when she asked for a fee when asked if she were willing to lend her services.

"Right then, last resort it is. Doctor Knox and Doctor Marcoh would no doubt be lending us their help to lead the health and sanitation sector of the restoration. Anyone else experiencing last-minute roadblocks on their tasks?"

Denny raised his hand meekly and bit his lips. "The wood supplier can only lend 20 of his men to us every week, rather than the original 30, Taisa."

The colonel took note of his report and nodded. "Consider it resolved, Brosh. We'll be getting added reinforcements from the military as time goes by, anyways. Just revise it in the main section of the plan. Anyone else?"

Catalina looked towards the rest of their unit and found none of their members raising any more issues. The Major looked towards her commanding officer and shook her head. "No more at the moment, Taisa, but if something comes up, we'll let you know."

Standing up, Riza nodded and fixed the lessening piles of paperwork on her desk, glad to have halved it after just three hours of working. She set down her finished pile on Rebecca's desk before turning to Ross. "Accompany me to the range, Maria?"

"Hai, Hawkeye-Taisa."

* * *

She hummed under her breath as she was opening the weapons storage near the range. Riza had prepared a table and picked out several guns, laying them carefully on the table as her subordinate stood at ease in wait.

"Would you like some help, Taisa?" Maria asked politely.

The blonde colonel shook her head briefly, refusing her offer wordlessly as she set the last rifle down on the table before she slid the door to the storage closed once more. "What I need you to do is to identify these weapons and tell me all the specifications that you know about them, Chuui."

Ross blinked at her commanding officer for a moment before she nodded her head and went nearer the table. The first lieutenant laid a hand on the rifle situated to Riza's rightmost side, the first one the colonel picked out. "This is a 3-line M1891, otherwise known as the Mosin-Nagant rifle. Exceptional bolt-action sniper rifle. 8.8lbs, 48.5 inches, 29 inches barrel length, effective firing range is 550 yards for pure eye scoping and 800 yards with optics aid. Feed system is 5-round non-detachable magazine individually loaded or with 5-round stripper clips. Rate of fire varies; muzzle velocity is around 865m/s. Your sniper of choice, Taisa."

Hawkeye-Mustang nodded in affirmation of her stated specifications and silently urged Maria to continue. The colonel's smirk grew from nonexistent to slightly visible when Ross almost successfully identified and specified the Ross rifle, the Pattern 1914 Enfield, the Gewehr 98, the Mondragón rifle, the Farquharson rifle, the Winchester M1907, the Maxim gun, and the Marlin M1894. It was as if she was looking at a (slightly) younger version of herself.

"Good. I need you to brush up on the specifications that you missed, as I will be needing you to assist me in Weapons Training in the upcoming joint exercises with the Northern forces," Riza hummed, starting to put back the weapons. This time, she didn't refuse Ross' help.

The brunette nodded swiftly, but eyed her commanding officer in curiosity. "It's not that I would mind, Taisa, but…why me?"

She didn't even look at her subordinate when she answered, her tiniest of smirks still very much in place on her lips. "Aside from the fact that I know of your grades in Weapons during the academy? Let's just say that an enthusiast knows how to spot another enthusiast."

Try as she did to fight, Maria Ross couldn't help but turn a tinge of pink when her commanding officer indirectly complimented her. Riza Hawkeye was nothing short of a legend at her time during the academy. The whole barracks and dorms were always abuzz when the blonde would practice at the range, or demonstrate her sharp accuracy whether in throwing knives or firing bullets.

Being two years younger than Riza, it was not unexpected for a weapons enthusiast such as herself to practically idolize the Taka no Me. After all, she was the greatest sharpshooter Amestris has ever seen. And she was only 25. So, receiving a comment from her regarding weaponry was a great deal of compliment.

"You are a weapons master, however, Taisa."

Amber eyes shifted their gaze to the side briefly before locking up the storage. "Let's say that what you claim is true. Mastery starts in some form of enthusiasm after all. How is your aim?"

"Not nearly as accurate and precise as yours, Ma'am."

"Given a round, stationary object of 5 inches in diameter, if you were to aim for the centre, how off-centre would your bullet be?" Riza queried, removing her military jacket.

"About 7-8 mm to the right, Taisa."

"Ah, not so far from when I first measured how off-centre I was."

Ross shrugged casually. "How old were you when you first measured it, Taisa?"

"I suppose I was 9?" Riza hummed, laying a finger on her chin in thought. "It was at a country fair, but that's not the point I am trying to make. Why would someone such as yourself who knows important specifications of the weapons she uses be 7-8mm off-centre on a stagnant object?"

The lieutenant looked to the side and wrung her hands together. "I get distracted."

The Hawk's Eye merely raised a perfectly manicured blonde brow, but she let the matter go for now. "Work on that. I need an alternate sniper on my team. If we are going to go on heist missions after we restore Ishval, I can't always be on the field to snipe. You will be taking my place then. Is that understood, Chuui?"

The lieutenant clicked the heel of her boots together and crisply saluted her commanding officer. "Aye, Ma'am."

"Good. For the meantime, you are dismissed. Tell the rest of the team I'll be here in the range until 30 minutes till lunchtime. I ask not to be disturbed till then. Unless it's an emergency, do not send for me. Is that clear?"

"Aye, Ma'am."

As soon as Ross disappeared from the range, her shoulders dropped and Riza walked towards the female locker room. It was her preferred time to go to the range as the practice area was almost always empty during the mornings. That day, she had it all to herself, perfect for some much-needed time to clear her mind and wake herself up further.

Her previous night had been rough as she didn't get a very comfortable sleep after practically locking her husband out of their bedroom. However, it didn't seem right to allow him the comfort of a good night's sleep with his deplorable actions the day before. Then again, Riza felt extremely guilty for taking the rougher, tougher way to discipline her husband when she could have just explained to him the gravity of Olivier Mira Armstrong's situation.

A challenging thought entered her mind, however. _Will he be willing to listen to mere explanations?_

Whatever the answer, Riza felt particularly remorseful that she wasn't the bigger person in that quick argument of theirs. Suddenly, a particularly rebellious thought entered her mind once more. Rational as her darling husband might be most of the time, there are just times when he needs a figurative slap to the face to bring him to reality. And maturity.

Sighing at her internal conflict, Riza hung her coat inside her opened locker and then procured her personal rifle. As she turned to the side, the colonel offered a crisp salute to the woman who had just joined her. For a moment, she lamented the loss of her pursuit of mind clarity when she realized she would have company that morning. "Armstrong-Chuujou."

"At ease, please, Hawkeye-Taisa. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all, Chuujou," she said, relaxing her stance slightly.

The Briggs commander picked an available empty locker and took off her winter coat and military jacket. "I do suppose you have an extra rifle."

"Aye, Ma'am."

"Call me Olivier."

At the request, Riza pursed her lips and handed her spare weapon to the lieutenant general. "I am not sure if I can be as casual as…"

"Ah, of course," Olivier acknowledged, taking the Pattern 1914 Enfield. "You have the liberty to use it, however."

"Thank you."

Before leaving the locker room, Olivier turned towards the colonel and held her gaze seriously. "He apologized to me first thing in the morning today."

Her honey-gold orbs widened a fraction at the other woman's revelation and Riza could feel all tension waft away from her gradually. She wasn't exactly sure how she would comport herself when Olivier joined her company, given the utter rubbish her husband had said the night before. Now, she was just glad—and damn proud—that Roy seemed to already have rectified that.

* * *

The Flame Alchemist practically stumbled into their dark flat once he got home. Creeping around for the lamps, he sighed in relief when the appliance turned on and revealed their kitchen. Per routine, he took of his military blues and dumped them in the hamper after taking off his badges and stars. His movements were lethargic and slightly pained as his muscles smarted at him.

It was the first day of the joint exercises and he was on the first batch of people to go through hand-to-hand combat training. Halfway into the exercise, he realized that Olivier must have made several arrangements so that he would be lumped in with the bigger-boned soldiers like her burly, sparkly younger brother. And it was clear for the alchemist that it was no coincidence that he had to go against Alex Louis Armstrong as well. In all honesty, he was just about to drop dead when his little pupper yipped and went over to him.

A tired smile graced the brigadier general's face as he cuddled Black Hayate, nuzzling his face into his soft, fluffy fur. Roy stayed sitting for a few more moments before he tore Hayate away from him as soon as he heard the Shiba Inu's stomach growl. Chuckling slightly, he poured Hayate's dinner into its designated bowls. It was then when he noticed something was a little _off_.

If Hayate were home, then where was his wife? Surely, he would have heard when the door squeaked open, but it didn't. A tiny sliver of panic surged into him and he had to take a few breaths to calm down. There was no use getting tensed up when she could have been in their apartment after all.

And she was. Roy sighed heavily in relief as he found a portion of her blonde hair on the sofa. Walking around it, the alchemist puckered his lips endearingly at the sight that greeted him. Riza was on the furniture, still clad in her military blues and boots, in deep sleep. It ached him to wake her up especially since she looked extremely adorable, her soft lips lightly parted as she let out soft snores.

Chuckling to himself, he couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic towards his wife. She had been decked all day to lead the weapons training and doing a 30-minute spiel over and over again for several batches that day couldn't have been easy, especially since it was her first time to do so.

Roy placed a kiss on her forehead gently, not in the slightest worried that he will wake her. When Riza snored, it was when he knew she wouldn't be woken up by little gestures such as a kiss. His wife might have been a soldier trained to spot danger from miles away, but she was also a soldier trained to force herself to sleep if need be. From the looks of it now, she wouldn't be waking till morning.

Gingerly, the alchemist undressed her to her undergarments before taking her to their bed. Roy shut all the lights off and figured an early night without eating dinner wouldn't exactly hurt, seeing as both of them were rugged tired from the events of the day. He would have to change their sheets first thing tomorrow morning, as she refused to sleep in them in anything but proper pyjamas, but he didn't mind.

When Riza awoke, it took her a few minutes to fully realise the situation that she was in. Once her head cleared and her disorientation melted away, she felt the stickiness of her skin and the clamminess of her forehead. Opening her eyes, she had expected to wake on their sofa but somehow, she was transported to their bed in the middle of her slumber. Smiling softly to herself, the colonel turned towards her husband and placed a loving kiss on his cheek.

The gesture stirred the alchemist awake and he lazily opened his eyes to the slight darkness of their room. Roy rubbed them to chase away the sleep and he sat up on their bed, turning towards the clock that was on their bedside table. "Four hundred hours sharp. We slept for a total of 10 hours. Never thought I'd see the day."

"You could've waken me. I would have wanted to take a shower," Riza said, laying a hand on his muscled stomach.

"Yes, and you would have clawed my face off."

Riza rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I would have not," she grumbled before looking up at him. "Thank you for taking me to bed."

He smiled endearingly and laid a hand on hers that was on his stomach. "And for undressing you?"

Her eyes turned skyward once more. What a deprived man-child her love was. "And for undressing me."

A cocky smirk appeared on his lips. "What say you, we take a nice shower then head out for breakfast before we go to work?"

"Sounds like a plan," she hummed, nuzzling his side with her nose. "But we need to change the sheets first."

* * *

Upon his insistence, Riza changed the sheets while her husband readied the bathroom. The colonel eyed the brigadier general skeptically before she was ushered back into their room with a stack of sheets and pillow cases after instructing her to trust him. When Riza walked in to the bathroom, everything made sense.

The bath tub was filled a little above halfway and she was sure there were aroma therapy oils mixed in the water. The scent was almost thrilling if it weren't for the stickiness she felt having gone to bed without taking a shower. Roy's hand encircling her wrist brought her out of her thoughts. "So, what do you think?"

"I think I'm going to wind up pregnant before we're even ceremonially married if you keep this up, Roy-kun."

"Which is why we have the option to do it now before you start ovulating once more," Roy crooned, hand leaving her wrist and tugging on the hem of her black turtleneck. "Like a one for the road kind of thing, loves, if you want. It's nine days since your last period and we have several days till my swimmers die inside you."

Sighing, Riza knew she hadn't in herself to refuse especially since the atmosphere of their bathroom was far too inviting. However, they were treading on thin ice regarding their physical intimacy, even as far as using it when they made up after their first little squabble. Riza closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Somehow, I am not convinced."

"Then I'll strike whilst the iron is hot."

When her lids retracted, her eyes revealed a confused look in them. "What do you even mean by that?"

"Let's have sex when you're finishing your period," he said with a shrug. "On the third or fourth day after your first bleeding. No chances of getting pregnant then."

"And when did you suddenly become an expert regarding women's period and ovulation?"

Roy laid a hand on each of Riza's shoulder. "Since I started reading up on them. Did you know there's actually a contraceptive we can use so we won't get you pregnant? It's called a cervical cap and it goes—"

"Nothing is going to go inside of me, do you hear me?"

It was Roy's turn to sigh. "This is going to be a long two years," he grumbled before imploring his wife with his eyes. "At least hear me out? I still have another option for us."

Riza blinked up at her husband and pursed her lips. There was an inexplicable force within her that wanted to refrain from asking him about that other option, but the colonel had to admit that she was also curious. "And that is?"

"Alkahestry."

"Alkahestry," the sniper repeated. "How?"

His hands left her shoulders and settled on her shapely waist. Roy brought them closer to each other, only their clothes in between them. "Alkahestry can help prevent fertilization from happening. It could alter your hormone levels so you wouldn't be able to create a uterine environment conducive for child-bearing. That being said, it can also reverse said alteration so that when the time comes, we can get pregnant."

Both interest and want were building up inside her at his suggestion. Riza knew that she shouldn't be giving in to such offers but Roy managed to come up with such a grand proposal that she finds it difficult to refuse. "And when in this time of hectic schedules and important missions are we going to find an Alkahestrian?"

"That's…classified information?" Roy volunteered tentatively.

At his answer, Riza leaned slightly away from her husband crossed her arms, looking up at him with a flat affect, save for the solitary raised brow.

"Well, I hardly thought it'd be useful to already find an Alkahestrian if you were going to be against the idea," Roy shrugged. "For all I knew, you could have been more amenable to the cervical cap."

"Honestly, Roy. Who would opt to put a plug inside them when there's another, less intrusive choice?" she asked rhetorically.

Pouting, Roy looked sideways. "I thought you were going to tough it out, like you always do."

Her brows crinkled and she sneered at the man before her. "I am _not_ going to risk the anatomical integrity of a very important internal organ of mine just for sex!"

A meek grin stretched the Flame Alchemist's lips as he looked back to his wife. "At least I know that now?"

"Useless," she muttered under her breath, albeit half-joking.

"Oy, take that back," Roy frowned, affronted. "I'm not useless."

The markswoman smirked in victory at the sight of his childish look. "When it's wet, you're useless."

"Oh?" he hummed mischievously, taking her arms apart from their entwine. Roy mirrored his wife's smirk and a playful glint shone in his eyes. "I don't think I'm useless when _you're_ wet."

Irked, the smug look on her face was wiped away as quickly as he delivered his smug remark. Riza turned away from him when he slowly dove in for a kiss, but it didn't seem to faze the Junshou. Suddenly, her jaw felt the familiar tenderness of his lips delivering said kiss before they hiked up a little closer to the back of her ear.

"Roy—"

"See, when you say things like myself being useless, I always want to prove I'm not," he hummed. "Just say 'no' and I'll stop."

Riza didn't say no. She didn't want to.

* * *

Madame Christmas' bar at six in the morning smelt like any other bar at six am would smell like. Lingering musk of inebriated men, alcohol-induced vomit, and a disharmony of liquor and cigarette scents that never seemed to go away even with the numerous cleaning and air-freshening attempts.

If one could survive the storm of scents behind the two velvet doors, one could order a breakfast meal that was dubbed by many as the best hangover meal one could ever have in Amestris. Both halves of the Mustang couple could account for it, as they have had the dish far too many times to remember. Roy for the hangover part, and Riza for the breakfast part.

As soon as they strode inside the downtown bar, they were shooed away to Roy's former quarters after assuring them that their breakfast will be served there. Riza set Hayate on the floor, tying his leash near the door so he wouldn't run amuck in Roy's former living area. Most of its contents has been transferred to their apartment but there were still important documents present in the quaint room.

"I've been thinking…" Roy started as they cuddled on the naked mattress of his former bed.

"Goodness, such groundbreaking news," his wife crooned playfully.

"Riza…" the brigadier general grumbled, shooting her an unimpressed look.

The colonel chuckled in return and nuzzled into his neck, nose whiffing out the traces of the cologne he wears. It was an assuring smell to her, the scent of his cologne and musk mixed together. It meant that he was here, tangible, and in between her arms. Her lips protruded slightly to place a kiss on the underside of his jaw. "My, my. So grumpy in the morning, love."

"Because I haven't had coffee yet," he mumbled into her hair. Riza looked quite the sight to him right now. While she was dressed in heavy military blues, her aura was contrastingly lighthearted and sweet. It definitely wasn't unwelcome, though, since he knew that his wife was that way because she was far too loved up following their early morning stint in the bath.

Roy grunted slightly when she rolled on top of him, the press of their uniform a little constricting especially with the weight of their badges and medals. They were breaching several military uniform protocols, but he wasn't complaining one bit. Besides, he wasn't one to always abide by the rules.

"Anyways, you were saying something important?" she queried, lacing her fingers on his chest and setting her chin down on her knuckles.

Roy hummed, hands going to rest on her lower back. "Nothing important, really. I was just thinking about Olivier."

"Are you finally going to admit that you have harbored a crush on her all this time?"

"I— _what_?"

Riza smiled softly. "You can; I won't mind."

There was a mixture of shock, horror, and utter disdain at her statement. " _What?!_ Consider me disturbed, that my own wife wouldn't be alarmed if I had a crush on another woman!"

"So you admit it."

" _What?!_ No! God!" Roy exclaimed, abhorrence very much apparent in his features. It took him Riza snickering in his face to realize that the sniper was teasing him yet again. "For the love of alchemy, Mustang! What has gotten into you?"

She took a few deep breaths to steady herself, even if her stomach physically ached to release the giggles. It was far too easy to tease her husband this way, especially if it involved a certain female general. "All right. I've had enough for the morning, Roy-kun. What is it that you're trying to say?"

Instead of opening his mouth to speak, the Junshou merely stared at his wife blankly.

"Oh, come on, love." It was Riza's turn to pout at his silence. "I promise I'll hold off on the joking."

Roy smiled abashedly at the sight of Riza pouting that he couldn't help kissing her slightly protruded lips. All previous annoyance because of her little verbal jabs were now forgotten about.

"It's nothing, really. I just thought that it made sense for Olivier to be the way she is now that we know a little more about her past," Roy said casually.

"Care to elaborate on that?"

"I don't think anyone will become ice-cold like Olivier if there weren't a driving force. Given what we know of her family, she should have turned out more like Alex. Yet, she didn't."

Riza contemplated on his verbalized thoughts and then rested her cheek on his chest. "You mean to say Armstrong-Chuujou adapted such personality because of the circumstances regarding her daughter?"

"I do," he nodded, even if she couldn't see him. "She's cold and distant because she needed to be. She has this hard-ass personality because she wouldn't have thrived being in the North if she hadn't."

"And she wouldn't speak of the Briggs soldiers as if they were her own children, if she didn't know what it was like to have one," Riza added solemnly. "Even if it were just the length of her bearing Catherine, I think she willingly plunged herself into the role of being a mother and never really knew how to remove herself from it."

"And she projected such feelings to her soldiers. No wonder they're scarily loyal to her," Roy mused. "I never did figure out her methods of discipline. Seems like it's just some weirdly evolved maternal instinct in play."

The colonel hummed in agreement, fiddling with the badge he earned from their most recent coup. "You and she are quite alike, you know."

"Ri, don't start. It's not even seven in the morning yet," Roy groaned.

"I'm serious!" the blonde insisted, rising from her husband's chest and straddling his waist. "You two lead with the same efficiency and effectivity. Your subordinates are loyal, and you have the country's best interests at heart. And you are both smart. Honestly, I don't get why you two make it a point to antagonize the other."

"She is ice; I am fire," he said simply. "We just don't get along. And we won't ever get along."

"But—"

"But we respect each other, in our own twisted way. And that's enough for Olivier and me," he drawled. Riza spotted the gentle finality in his tone and let the matter go.

"She and I practiced in the range a few days ago, you know."

"Oh?"

Nodding, Riza laid back on him carefully. "She asked me to call her by her name."

Roy snorted, but a small smile appeared on his face. "That's the Olivier Mira Armstrong seal of approval right there."

"She told me you apologized to her."

"It's the right thing to do."

Suddenly, the brigadier general felt a generous kiss upon his lips. It did not take him long before he returned it.

"I'm proud of you, my king," the colonel declared affectionately against his skin.

Roy smiled in content, enclosing the hand on his face with his large one. "Well, I just might apologise for every single thing I said to Olivier if I get to be rewarded with a kiss just like that."

"Don't push your luck, Mustang."

* * *

Taka no Me-The Hawk's Eye


	12. Chapter 12

Another paper folded into an undefined shape landed in front of her. Riza took it carefully and set it aside to join the other three that were flicked to her direction earlier. The Colonel could hear the Brigadier General in front of her sigh audibly before hearing the scrawl of pen against paper once more. She looked at the clock to her right and pursed her lips, before her eyes zeroed on the door of the conference room.

It had become their favourite meeting place with Lieutenant General Armstrong during her stay in Central for the joint exercises. This part of Central HQ wasn't as guarded like all the other parts, which was convenient for the group of three soldiers who were unlikely to be seen having harmonious relations outside of the four walls despite their understandings.

After all, it was almost a general conception that Olivier Mira Armstrong and Roy Mustang hated each other. Naturally, being her husband's loyal former adjutant, she was believed to harbor ill sentiments towards the female general. The rumor mills were winding even without their tampering, and none of them wanted a severely curious grave digger finding anything that could be used against them. Given all their ranks, it was only expected that there would be people whom they won't please. Not that they care.

Another folded note landed in front of her and Riza sighed. "Darling, could you spare _please_ your poor notepad from your boredom? A tree didn't die just so you can mangle it after writing some nonsense."

The man in question pouted and let go of his notepad and fountain pen, crossing his arms like a petulant child. Ever since they had Riza undergo an Alkahestrian process for hormonal suppression, her irritable mood had been showing itself from time to time as a part of her body's adjustment period to her new physiological states. It was a price they had to pay for the contraceptive, but it was something they'd rather undergo than an unplanned pregnancy.

"It's not nonsense. I'm just trying to cheer you up is all."

Riza sighed and shook her head. "And what even gave you the reason to believe I need cheering up?"

"A highly intelligent guess."

Round, brown eyes locked with his darkened orbs and their owner blinked twice, utterly confused. "What?"

"Nothing," he hummed, crossing an ankle over the other. Roy wasn't about to tell his wife she was being a little…prickly…these days, lest he wanted to end up at the wrong side of the gun. Literally. "Read my notes; they could help with the boredom."

"You're acting like a school boy," she muttered, tapping her fingers on the strong, oak table.

Roy let out a snort, sitting up straight and patting his lap and making Hayate leap up to him. "Well, forgive me for my repressed actions. I never had the chance to act that way in school or in the academy. Between that time, I was homeschooled."

The blonde allowed herself a smile, entertained by the way he spoke of his past like she didn't know every single detail about it. "What? Never had a crush while in school?"

"I did have one," he smirked, running his hands affectionately through their dog's soft fur. "She was five years younger than I am so we didn't get much interaction."

"Five years, huh?" the colonel hummed, a teasing glint in her eyes. "You sure are a creep."

Roy's narrow eyes rounded and his jaw dropped slightly as her words shocked him so. "Hey! I'll have you know I didn't do anything until she was of legal age!"

Riza paused and took a breath. "Now I am baffled. Are we still talking about me?"

Obsidian orbs rolled back to the orbit briefly. "You're talking to a man who's been in love with you for as long as he could remember. Pretty _damn_ sure I am talking about you."

"O-Oh…okay," she stammered, gaze turning down to the table as she tried to conceal the slight pink on her cheeks. "Because I thought…ah, nevermind."

His brow rose slightly. "Thought what?"

The blonde snapped her head up and swallowed. "Nothing! You said of legal age. I wasn't legal back when…"

He could feel his mind working at an alarming rate in reaction to her voiced contemplation. Roy gulped when he realized what his wife was pertaining to. "You were. You were legal."

"I wasn't," Riza said. "Not for another month, if my memory serves me right."

"But you consented! And I didn't even see anything except for your back!"

The sniper bit her tongue and held back her mirth. "Your reaction, though…"

Roy's already wide eyes widened a little more. "H-How…"

"Wait, it's true?!" Riza exclaimed, surprised herself. "You are such a pervert!"

There was a pained and confused expression on the Brigadier General's face that even Black Hayate was worried, as the dog had started whining up at him and prodding his face with his nose.

"It went down after a few seconds, I swear! And I only did so because you asked me to!" Roy shrieked, took a few breaths, and eventually calmed down. "Were you, uh…did you feel violated in any way?"

The teasing glint in her eye came back and Riza sank on the plush cushions of her own chair. "No. It's really all water under the bridge now."

"Riza!"

"You make it so easy, Roy-kun," she crooned.

The Brigadier General bit his bottom lip and narrowed his eyes at his wife, roughly nudging the toe of her boot with his own. His wife merely chuckled in return. "I swear, you are getting it when we get home."

"And what exactly will I be getting?"

"I don't know," he said, the seriousness in his voice far too comical. "But you are getting something."

A melodic laugh filled the walls of the conference room briefly, and Roy felt his annoyance trickle away when he heard it. The alchemist brought their pup closer to him and burrowed his face into his thick fur to hide the blush that coloured his face. Roy couldn't believe how a three-second laugh could induce the silliest of reactions in him.

Riza watched him with a small smile on his face, cuddling with Hayate like a child in need of affection. She found him extremely adorable and if they weren't in their uniforms, the Colonel would have had reached over and engulfed him in an embrace. Since they were not at liberty to do that, she settled for reaching for the first note Roy flung to her direction.

The utterly and hopelessly romantic tone of the tiny first note made her snort and chuckle. Riza shook her head, but bit her lip and set down the note to the side.

"What are you doing?" he asked, voice muffled by their Shiba Inu's fluff.

"I'm reading your notes," she replied. " _My flames are mere cinders without you_? I guess you do have a little poet in you, after all."

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't read them," he pouted. "Give them back and I'll transmute them into something else."

"I thought the purpose of the notes were for me to read them, dear."

An audible sigh blew through Hayate's fur, making the dog wiggle a little. "Not out loud."

"As you say."

To her surprise, the other three notes were more thoughtful, rather than emotional, in tone. Riza found them very endearing, and she might have tucked them safely in her office drawer if it couldn't be taken as something incriminating for the both of them.

The colonel grabbed her pen and began to write her little replies before folding them once more. She tossed the notes in the same order that he did, hoping that he would forgive her for ignoring them earlier.

 _I know._ was the reply to the first note.

 _I love you_ was written below his own scribbled declaration of affections.

 _You are my refuge and my conscience._ He wrote.

 _And you are my home and my heart._ She replied.

 _You are essential to me._ The last note read. Riza's breath hitched at his last note, her chest suddenly tight with warmth. The depth of such a simple sentence was far beyond her comprehension, and while she may have subconsciously realized such a fact, it was overwhelming to see it concretized. The Colonel took a pen and wrote her reply.

Setting her sentiments for the meantime, the markswoman stood up and circled the long table to sit beside her husband. She slipped the first three notes into his pocket, laying her head against his shoulder, not even minding the harsh fabric that pressed against her cheek. "Why are you hiding?"

"The notes were foolish, and I feel silly," he whispered to Hayate.

"I liked them," Riza replied sincerely. She felt a little bad for poking fun at his attempts at making her feel better. (She _does_ realise that her mood had not been at its best lately.) After all, it was like Roy was baring his soul to her once more with those four pieces of paper.

"You're just saying that," Roy pouted once more. "Besides, why would you return them if you liked them?"

Her small smile widened a fraction. "When notes are returned to their owner, it may mean they have a reply written on the same paper."

"Oh."

Her soft, honey-brown eyes watched as he unclasped an arm from around Hayate to fish out the notes she shoved in his pocket. The Colonel observed the slight pink tint on his cheeks turn into a deeper shade of red when he went from one note to another.

Roy pocketed the notes once more and he couldn't help the surge of warmth from rushing up and down within him as he read the replies. They have been together for so long, that much he had reiterated time and again, yet they were still new to this talk-about-your-feelings situation. The alchemist turned to his wife and grasped the side of her face gently, leaning in to press a chaste kiss on her lips.

Yet, Riza let the act linger for some moments more, if only to satisfy her own fantasies of kissing Roy whilst he wore his uniform. The thought made her lips tug into a minuscule grin before they frowned. "You really have to kiss me after smooshing your face with Hayate's fur?"

"Yeah, sorry about that," he sheepishly said. Roy was about to steal another kiss from her when the door came bustling open, making the couple pull apart suddenly.

The interruption came in the form of the highest-ranking female in the history of the Amestrian military. "Pardon my intrusion…and my lateness."

"Not at all, Olivier," Roy hummed, settling back in his chair.

"I bought us all dinner. And I wasn't sure what your dog eats so I merely bought him some beef pocket sandwiches. I hope that's all right," Olivier said, passing the bigger plastic towards the couple.

"Ah, you didn't have to, Chuujou," Riza mumbled. "But thank you, nonetheless."

The female general held up a gloved hand. "It's fine. Consider it my thanks for making sure my stay here was as inconspicuous as possible."

"Right, you leave for Briggs tomorrow morning. Have you settled everything that needs to be settled, family-wise?" Roy asked, separating the olives in his pasta and putting them on Riza's plate while he made room for the onions he knows his wife will deposit on his own plate.

"I eventually did," Olivier nodded, allowing herself a small smile. "Catherine has decided to come up with me to the North. I have contacted Alonzo of the situation, and he has decided he will only make himself known if Catherine asks for him. We've decided we can't drop everything on the poor girl all at once."

Riza hummed as she listened, setting down the sandwiches for Hayate to feed on. "And what about your family, Chuujou? Will they continue to reside in the Armstong manor now that you have fully exercised your rights as the head of the family?"

"My parents have decided to settle back in East City. Amue and Strongine have their own houses here in Central. Alex has his own place, as well, only choosing to go back to the manor on the weekends. I told him not to enter my house unless he was given permission," the North commander supplied.

"That not a bit harsh, Ollie?" Roy asked, brow raised. "I mean he is your brother, after all."

"And a spoiled one at that," Olivier retorted. "Don't take this the wrong way; I know you've worked with him for some time, but Alex has some tendencies to cling too much to the Armstrong name. It's time for him to make his own way in the world, as he had shown so back during that horrible, horrible day."

"Never thought you'd leave the mansion alone, Olivier."

The Chuujou took a breath and shrugged. "My place has always been in the North. It's just plain circumstance that happened, which is why I will invoke your duties as its inheritor."

It was Riza's turn to take a breath. This was all new information for her, and she had a quick rundown of recent conversations that might give her any allusion to believing her husband was Olivier Mira Armstrong's chosen heir for her Central mansion. "I'm sorry; what's this all about?"

The other blonde in the room raised her brow towards the only male in their company. "You never told your wife about that?"

"I didn't think you were serious."

"Did I sound like I was joking?" she challenged. "Did I ever sound like I was joking?"

"Well, no," Roy murmured idly. "But still!"

"When I told you that you can have my mansion if something happens to me, I already had it on paper."

The Flame Alchemist blinked. "And that is with the clause 'if something happens to me'. Nothing is going to happen to you, right?"

"Well, no," Olivier shrugged. "I just need someone to look out for my home when I am not around."

Taking a swig of water from the proffered bottle, Roy ran a hand through his hair. "Deeply honoured, Olivier, but you do realize we can't utilize it give our own current circumstances."

"I am not asking you to move in," the female general sighed. "Just look out for it. It's guarded by loyal, out-of-commission Briggs soldiers who have long retired from active duty and wanted a stable job post-military service. You can rest assured nothing will come out of its walls."

"Again, thank you, but this feels a bit sudden."

Olivier pushed her long fringe out of her face idly, before pushing the keys towards the couple. "Do whatever you wish with it. Nothing inside it is of use to me nor Catherine. I'll transfer the ownership to you when the time comes. Right now, I merely ask you to take care of it. Drop by every once in a while, if you can."

"R-Right," the Flame Alchemist stammered before feeling a sharp nudge to his side. "Thank you, Olivier."

The woman in question merely waved her hand in dismissal. "When shall you be deployed to Ishval, Hawkeye-Taisa?"

"A week from now, if everything happens the way it should," Riza said, finishing her own pasta plate.

"I see. I'll be sending a team of mine for additional manpower to be led by Major Miles, my soldier who's part-Ishvalan. He and Scar have been keeping in contact and it seems that Scar has been hailed as Grand Cleric by the community. I'll have Miles assist you in opening a dialogue with the Ishvalans. I regret that I won't be able to join you full-time, since I am sorting out leftover matters with Drachma, but I should be able to spend some time there to assist in any way that I can."

"That's very generous, Chuuj—"

"Olivier."

"Olivier," Riza adjusted herself. "Any help is welcome, of course. I'll let you know of our initial plans two days before deployment."

* * *

He lit the torches that he himself placed to guide his way home. The underground tunnels that Roy utilized had grown to become a source of eerie comfort, and it almost felt foreign to be traversing the pavements of Central's streets whenever he was making his way to their apartment complex. Unlike many nights, he wasn't alone in his journey home. Right beside him was his wife's (and by extension his, as well) faithful Shiba Inu, happily falling into step beside him just like a certain blonde Colonel.

His wife had an errand she needed to take care of, and she had instructed him to head home with the dog before her.

The Flame Alchemist put his palms together and snapped his fingers, lighting up the first few torches on either side of the tunnel. Hayate yipped in excitement at the little exhibition and Roy couldn't help but bend down and pat the little pupper's furry head. The Shiba Inu reveled in the attention then prodded his pocket. Curious at such behavior, Roy dipped into it and found the last note that he tossed his wife earlier.

 _You are essential to me._ He read the words he wrote earlier and smiled to himself before he was floored by the reply she scrawled below it. Roy both wanted to tear up and run up the walls to ease the flutters building in his stomach, and to calm the steadily expanding pressure on his chest. The alchemist took a few breaths and dropped on his knees, grabbing the Shiba Inu and enveloping the canine in an embrace similar to what he offered Hayate earlier.

" _You are invaluable to my being_ , she said," he whispered to the dog's fur. Hayate cooed and prodded his face with his nose, before taking a lick on his master's cheek. "I, a puny little man, am invaluable to her being. Can you believe it, Hayate?"

Naturally, the dog only yipped and snuggled closer to the man who seemed to be in an ecstatic state of breaking down due to overwhelmingly romantic emotions. Hayate nuzzled into Roy's neck, only too happy with the affection.

"Come on, boy," the Brigadier General said. "Let's head home."

When she had arrived in front of their door, Riza took a breath before pushing her way inside. The apartment was dark, save for the solitary living room light that her husband seemed to have left open. From the doorframe, she could hear Roy reading a historical fiction book to their dog. Not wanting to intrude on the moment, the young Colonel made her way into the bathroom to get herself ready for bed.

" _Wo-ho!_ " said the coachman. " _So, then! One more pull and you're at the top and be damned to you, for I have had trouble enough to get you to it!—Joe!"_ Roy narrated dramatically for the dog, whose ears were wiggling back and forth to signal that he was very much entertained with the whole display.

" _Ha_... _lloa_ …" the man stammered as he turned to look at the sight of his wife by the door of their bedroom. She was cladded in her usual bedtime attire and wearing a sheepish look on her face, something that he was still getting used to seeing on a rather frequent basis after not seeing it for years. Roy took a breath and held it for a few moments, as he made sense of the sight before him. There was nothing out of place in Riza except for… "Y-Your hair. You cut your hair…?"

Riza nodded meekly before joining him on the bed. She hugged her furry companion tightly before setting him down on the floor so he could retreat to his own beddings for the night. Roy lazily reached the bedroom door and nudged it close with his foot. "I'm not saying it's bad. I mean you've had that hairstyle longer than when you had the other one. What made you do it?"

The Colonel sunk into their sheets and sighed. "I originally intended to just cut off three or four inches, but then I realized I will be deployed to the desert in a week's time so it's better to maintain a short hair to help me stay cool during my stay in Ishval."

"Ah, of course," the Brigadier General reached for the lamp and tugged his wife closer to him.

She settled in his embrace, his warmth and the steady pulsation of his heart calming herself enough to submit to slumber. Riza didn't tell her husband that she cut her hair because she wanted to feel closer to herself when she gained the 'Hawk's Eye' moniker back in the Ishvalan extermination. She didn't tell him that she wanted to discard the feeling of luxury that came with her long tresses, that the only thing that occupied her mind at the moment was the tremendous guilt for pulling the trigger so many times during the so-called war.

Riza didn't tell Roy, because she knew that her husband already understood the real reason.

* * *

She hadn't been sleeping for long when she suddenly heard screams from all around her. It didn't take her much to notice the searing heat of the desert sun mercilessly beating against her skin. Riza felt a sweat drop roll from the side of her face down to her neck until it was absorbed by the fabric of her military cloak.

Her throat was as parched as the land she was standing on, yet skin was slick with moisture. She knew her eyes were closed but she could see the target confined in her scope, face clear as she pulled the trigger. The scream was lost in her throat and she wanted to recollect herself, to move away from where she had mounted her gun. However, she could not move a muscle.

The Hawk's Eye let out a shrill grunt as she struggled against herself. Every inch of her body shook then, and every tremor that her muscles created made her chest constrict. There were tiny needles piercing her lungs, and she felt out of breath and overwhelmed by the atmosphere at the same time. Her head felt like it was separating from her body even if it felt as if there was a metal helmet bearing down on it.

The image inside the scope was filled with a thick, red splatter before it refocused and found its next victim. The cycle replayed: the scope found itself a familiar target, her finger would unconsciously pull the trigger, and blood would bespatter her vision. Each time, she was either swallowing a scream or grinding her teeth against each other.

The final target that her scope sought was a recognizable mop of black hair, and by some twisted imagery, her finger pulled the trigger faster than it had to her prior victims. The bullet pierced this familiar head just as he turned around. She watched in horror as her bullet lodged perfectly in between Roy's eyes, before hearing her name upon his lips, said in a staggering breath.

"R-Riza…" he breathed out before Roy fell to the ground and the sight of his blood covered the whole area of her scope.

Riza felt her fists ball and her blunt nails dig into the skin of her palm, and she desperately wanted to feel them cut through her hand. The markswoman tried to move once more but her joints were still locked in place, muscles still frozen lifeless.

The blood on her scope cleared to reveal Roy's lifeless eyes and twitching mouth. His lips shaped to form the articulation of her name, and it sounded like a horrifying chant that blamed her for the actions she did in the last few minutes (or was it hours?) or so.

"Riza…" the voice reverberated to her ears, giving the impression of a perilous prayer. And then it became louder, and louder, more piercing, more desperate. It made her head swirl and she thrashed it from one side to another to shake the sound of his voice, falling from his cold corpse, away from her mind.

The Colonel grunted and shrieked, stringing incoherent yelps, as she tried to awaken her body, tried to make it respond to what her mind wanted it to do. At last, she jolted harshly against the mattress, a startled scream escaping her lips. Her eyes finally opened and she saw the light-coloured walls of the bedroom she shared with her husband.

Distressed honey-brown orbs struggled to gain focus, so Roy gathered his wife in his arms, holding her closely and tightly. There was a nervous hammer in his chest as her eyes began to show the despair she was feeling at the moment, but he was all the same relieved that she had managed to wake up after such a horrifying ordeal.

"Riza?" he whispered gently into her now-short hair, testing the waters.

There was nothing but silence from his wife, and it worried Roy once more.

"Riza, it's over. You're here. I'm here with you. It's all going to be all right," Roy murmured reassuringly, placating her internal hurricane that he knew was happening. He tried to speak as if he were completely calm and in control of the situation, but the quivers in some of his words betrayed his true sentiments.

The mental exhaustion bore down on her physical functioning as well, and Riza had already felt several cramps developing in some of her larger muscle groups. Languidly, she turned in her husband's arms and buried her face into his chest, fisting the hem of his shirt. Soon after, she began sobbing uncontrollably, guilt and anguish driving voluminous tears to fall from her eyes.

It pained him so, cradling his wife as she cried like a child who has been robbed of the simple pleasures in life. It pained him even more that he played a part in where she had ended up, on the battlefield fighting a war that was illogical and inhumane. It sickens him to his gut that this precious woman who had the most tender of hearts and gentlest of souls be subjected to such psychological and emotional torture every single time she fired that sniper in Ishval.

What destroys him more, however, was the fact that it was not in his power to take her pain away.

Roy closed his eyes and dimmed their lamp once more before he laid them back against the mattress. Her sobs have reduced to wheezes and pained whimpers, but the difficulty of witnessing his wife broke down from the concoction of her own mind was still very much potent. He ran a hand through her hair which was now damp with sweat, leaning a little closer to press a kiss on her forehead.

"I-I'm—" she started to choke out.

" _Don't_ apologise," he whispered gently yet firmly. Roy rocked his wife back to sleep, alternating between rubbing circles on her back and patting her arm until he heard soft snores. Even then, he wasn't able to sleep easily as his mind was far too occupied with the prospect of her deployment. It was only then that he realized that they would have to part for a long time starting next week.

The churning of his stomach kept him awake until two hours after the clock struck 12, when sheer exhaustion did him in for the night.

Said exhaustion followed him into the morning but he didn't complain about it. Besides, Roy have had night terrors himself, and was already familiar with the feeling. He was just glad Riza was able to sleep through the night after such tribulation. It was worth the heaviness in his eyes and the tiredness of his body to see her even just a little rested.

What he didn't expect was her hand reaching out to his during breakfast in an attempt to soothe him. For all he knew, he should be the one doing the soothing. "You're uncharacteristically quiet, Roy-kun."

His eyes sluggishly turned their gaze from her hand on his to her face. The Brigadier General wanted to point out that seeing one's wife suffer from a nightmare was gearing up to be another source of night terrors for him, but he swallowed the urge down since he didn't wish for her to suffer through the situation a second time.

Roy was quiet for a moment. If he dismissed her concerns, she would just grow worried. And Riza growing worried meant she was going to overthink the situation and somehow find a loophole that would put the entire blame on herself, and he didn't want that. So, he merely sighed and decided to bring up the matter that occupied his mind the night previous.

"I just realized that we will be separated for a really long time when you get deployed," he murmured, gaze focusing on his breakfast once more.

No other words were spoken that morning, as Riza struggled to come to terms that fact. It didn't even occur to her that such condition was highly probable. Being inseparable in their previous assignments and missions, she had just assumed that Roy will be deployed with her. After all, he did offer his team to aid in the restoration. Then again, Roy was tasked to start building liaisons between Amestris and Xing…a diplomatic mission to a land across the desert for goodness knows how long.

All at once, the dread and paranoia that grew within her when she was held hostage by Bradley came up and consumed her once more.

* * *

As the date of Riza's deployment neared, the heavily morose mood in their apartment grew more and more palpable. They slept as if they were strangers sharing a bed. There weren't any physical barricades between them, but they weren't reaching out to each other like they had before. They laid next to each other with their backs facing each other, as they can't very well face the prospect like they stared death in the eye so many times before.

It was cowardly and ridiculous, but it was what was happening.

The silence was far too heavy inside their home that even Hayate sought to be more affectionate towards his owners individually. The Shiba Inu would trail either half of the couple when they were doing household chores, and would snuggle up to either one of them should he find them crouched on the divan with a book.

There were no more than the necessary words exchanged between the two of them, which meant just the casual morning and evening greetings since they are able to function like a well-oiled machine even if they didn't speak to each other.

They were as well-kept and efficient at work. It was expected of Riza to accomplish her duties with a flourish, sometimes even doing far more than is needed, but it wasn't of Roy and it was starting to get his unit a little worried. True, they would be dealing with less backlog when it came to deliverables and document filing but the ruthless speed and unswaying focus that the Brigadier General suddenly has was a little terrifying, to say the least.

Nevertheless, his men went with it.

The lunchtime banter between Riza and Rebecca had grown to silent, comfortable episodes as Rebecca had picked up on her best friend's distracted mood. Usually, she would be up on her space questioning what idiocy Roy Mustang had done to warrant such behavior from her, but there was a different aura that surrounded her commanding officer that she was very hesitant to ask. However, her care for the blonde eventually won over her hesitation.

"Taisa," Rebecca whispered, nudging Riza gently. "You all right there? You haven't touched your food."

Riza's gaze shifted from a spot on her tray to her best friend who was sporting a deeply concerned look on her face. "Ah, yes. Nothing to worry about."

"Well, your nothing looks like a something. Are you sure everything's fine?"

"I'm sure, Shousa," Riza replied with a gentle finality, which the Major had picked up easily. It was clear that she wanted the matter to be left alone, else Riza wouldn't have addressed her by her rank.

Their day continued without as much as a fuss.

Come nighttime, the sounds that could be heard throughout their home was the rushing of the shower inside the bathroom and the bubbling of the stew inside the kitchen. Even their Shiba Inu was feeling desolate that he had opted to take a nap after finishing his own dinner. Riza worked silently in the kitchen.

Roy halted his walking as soon as he crossed the threshold of the kitchen and turned on his heel. There was a sigh from him as he closed his eyes to think about what he had just done. Had they really sunk so low in confronting this rift between them that he had actually _chosen_ to avoid his wife. The Brigadier General shook his head, and decided that this silly evasion that they both were doing needed to come to an end.

After all, they were going to deployed in different places. Riza would be dwelling in Ishval until she determines it's safe to leave it, while he would be overseas to officially engage the Empire of Xing in diplomatic relations. There would be a whole stretch of desert in between them, and he wasn't sure of current telephone technologies would support an efficient communication between them.

He entered the kitchen once more after setting his towel on the designated rack. Roy approached his wife and laid a hand gently on her lower back. "Hey, can we talk?"

Riza swallowed, knowing that one of them was going to give in to the temptation of a conversation after three days of silence. "Of course, but let's eat dinner first."

The general nodded, allowing the delay since he knew she wouldn't dodge the talk when Riza, herself, decided when it would take place.

Shortly after they sorted everything in their home, the couple sat facing each other, taking either side of the two-person sofa. Riza clutched a pillow in between her arms, while he merely wrung his hands with each other on top of his crossed legs. There was no point in asking what they were going to talk about, since they both knew already, so the Colonel merely went in for the kill.

"How are we going to address this?" she asked softly. "I can see no other solution except for enduring it."

"Then we endure it," Roy nodded firmly. "I just found it ridiculous that we settled to co-exist these past few days instead of spending whatever time we can with each other. After all, no one can say when I'll be joining you in Ishval."

"I'm sorry," Riza whispered, discarding the pillow and scooting over to him. "I didn't even think that this was a possibility. It came natural to me that we'll always be together on missions, so I automatically assumed you'll be deployed with me."

The alchemist shook his head and kissed his wife's lips briefly. "I'm sorry, as well. We really need to stop letting the silence linger between us when we need to talk."

The sniper winced slightly. "Yes, it's not helpful at all."

Roy took his wife in his arms and sighed heavily in relief after not being able to do the act for almost 72 hours. He should have held her tighter and closer, as he knew he won't be able to do it for months. For a moment, he wondered how on Earth he was going to survive this mission of his, but he pushed the thought away and chose to focus on how she felt against him.

Likewise, Riza committed to her memory everything that she could. His warmth, his smell, the feel of his embrace…she needed every little bit of Roy that she could have in order to last through the time that they would be apart. The thought of it alone sent acid to raze her tongue, but she fought the urge to hurl to prolong their embrace.

That night, they took time transforming their sentiments of love into act.

* * *

Just as she was going to call Lieutenant General Armstrong for updates regarding her Ishval operations, Riza was summoned to her grandfather's office. The Colonel placed the phone back on its resting place, and stood to make the journey to Grumman's office. The sight that greeted her inside was something that wasn't particularly expected, but wasn't exactly surprising either.

Riza offered her grandfather a crisp salute before taking the offered seat inches away from her husband. She had an inkling her _darling_ grandfather personally made sure that their chairs were dangerously close to each other. The old man was a sap like that.

"How—"

"I request you be straight to the point, grandfather," Riza cut him off seriously. "I have several important matters to attend to."

Roy held back a chuckle and merely smirked, sparing his wife a sideway glance. If there were anyone who could talk in such a direct way to the current Führer, then it would be his wife, the Führer's golden, precious, little girl.

Grumman merely let out a snort at the blonde's request. "Oh, I will surely miss you, Riza, my dear."

" _Grandpa,_ " she frowned.

"Fine, fine," the old man crooned. "I called the both of you here since I have some news that concerns you both. The Emperor…or shall I say the would-be Emperor of Xing has sent us a letter regarding the liaison procedures, I believe."

"Has Ling Yao changed his mind, perchance?" the Flame Alchemist queried.

Grumman shook his head. "I haven't read the letter, and I thought it wise to call you first and notify you of the situation. I trust your discernment regarding the situation, my boy."

The Brigadier General took the parchment offered and carefully pried it open, holding it at an angle that would allow his wife to read its contents. Roy read it out loud, for Grumman's sake.

" _Führer Charleston Grumman,_

 _I hope this post finds you in good health._

 _Your soldier Roy Mustang and I have entered a verbal agreement to start liaisons between the Empire of Xing and the Country of Amestris, post-Promised Day. We were never clear on the details, but the General has sent me a letter intending to commence these diplomatic relations._

 _We have found his plans to be sound and very accommodating, and the council and I are very much looking forward to hosting him for the whole time that we would be in negotiations._

 _Such was the initial plan. However, there has been some civil unrest regarding throne succession and the Yao and Chang clans have been faced with competitors for the throne. Even with the possession of the last Philosopher's Stone, my clan and Princess Mei Chang's clan are struggling to unite the whole empire. As such, we would like to postpone these plans until we have settled the situation._

 _It is not in my power to dictate the timeframe of this civil resolution, but we still wish to look forward to building relations with the Empire of Xing and the Country of Amestris. We regret that it would not come at a sooner time, but we are positive that we will eventually re-open our doors to you, our friends from the West._

 _We would be honoured if you could reach out to us in the soonest time possible._

 _With regards,_

 _Ling Yao_ "

The Führer took a breath, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Well, then. We have no other option but to adjust to their predicament. The deferment is rather unfortunate, but we will have to make do. Connecting with Xing will regain its priority once the Empire is deemed stable."

"I understand, Kakka," Roy nodded.

"As such, I'll be deploying your team to Ishval to join the restoration efforts," Grumman decided. "I trust that such adjustment will not be too imposing, Riza, my dear?"

Riza's eyes rounded slightly when she heard her grandfather's decision, but she maintained her composure. "No, Kakka."

Grumman merely smirked in knowing.

Bright and early on a Monday morning, they boarded the train going to the East. Roy and Riza sat next to each other closely, like the many other previous times they rode on trains. If anyone had noticed the way they linked hands so intimately as they both watched hues of brown and green roll by, no one dared to call attention to it.

* * *

Kakka-His/Her/Your Excellency  
The fiction Roy was reading Hayate is Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859.


	13. Chapter 13

Biting her lower lip, Maria Ross squinted her eyes and tried hard to focus on the moving masses displayed in the scopes of her binoculars. She adjusted the magnification until the figures were clear, and the soldier had to stifle a gasp when she realized what it was.

"Colonel," she whispered, eyes still watching the movement before her. "They're starting to move, but I don't think they are aware of us being here just yet."

Hawkeye nodded and mounted her sniper, joining the several other assigned soldiers on the lineup.

Three teams arrived first near the borders of the eastern desert. The rest of the soldiers drafted for the restoration efforts were set up in bunkers in Womiob, awaiting orders for advancement. Riza spearheaded the vicinity check, as she had received several reports of altercations in the past few months happening in the path that would lead them to the ruins of Xerxes, where the majority of the Ishvalan people were seeking refuge.

It seemed that a rebel-smuggler group consisting of Aerugonians and Amestrians alike had been dominating the few spaces of the desert just outside the borders of Amestris' Eastern area. This group had several run-ins with the Eastern soldiers, and it prompted them to settle outside the territory of Amestris, where the military had no jurisdiction.

However, it meant that they were free to antagonize the remaining Ishvalans and take advantage of their current destitution to extort whatever little scraps of money that remained with their victims.

The situation put a damper on their plans, but it was something they can't leave for the state to clean up. After all, they were near the scenes already; they could very well take on the job.

Through her sniper's scope, the commander of the Ishvalan restoration watched as their decoy group approached the camps of the smugglers. Her chest felt cramped as she sighted the messy mop of black hair, and Riza had to grit her teeth.

With his abilities as an alchemist, it was no brainer that her husband would be on the front lines of any such battle. However, it didn't mean that knowing such fact made it an easier thing to swallow. The Colonel gripped her sniper as she shook the sentiments away. Right now, they were working, and such frailties wouldn't help with the success of their mission.

"Colonel," a different, but familiar voice called out to her. "Every single one of their reinforcements are closing in the campsite, just as you inferred. Around 15 men coming from our right, and not more than 10 coming from the left. Both groups are armed, but nothing more than old pistols and revolvers."

"Thank you, Brosh," she whispered. Hawkeye adjusted the headpiece and turned on the mic. "Ground group, your situation? We have around 25 armed men approaching camp."

Darius cleared his throat gently. "All in position, Ma'am. The MPs are ready with their vehicles and arresting equipment."

Riza adjusted the microphone setting once more to allow her message to be heard all throughout the communication lines. "Zero casualties," she reminded firmly. "Disobedience will not be tolerated."

"Aye, Ma'am," the soldiers answered.

"Men, aim," she commanded, watching as Roy's group got near the camp.

Maria Ross handed the binoculars to the awaiting Kain Fuery and mounted her own sniper quickly. She reported her last observation, "The reinforcements have stopped their movements, Colonel. On your command."

"Men, fire on my signal…And go," Riza breathed before she pulled the trigger, aiming at a leg of one of the rebels before seeking another target.

It wasn't long before they downed the rebellious group, and Riza watched as the Military Police swiftly careened towards the immobilized agitators. "Cease fire. Elevated snipers, aim towards the arresting group, provide support if needed. There could be alchemists within their units. Ground group, advance to the camp to provide support for the infiltrating group. Be wary of the operations at both sides."

"Aye, Ma'am."

The commander didn't realise that she had been biting on her tongue all this time until she tasted the metallic flavor of her own blood. They may have subdued the reinforcements without much trouble, but the real fight was within the camps.

Being his adjutant and bodyguard in the past, there was always a hushed fear regarding her husband's safety. Riza came to realize now that such fear was merely tangential to what she experiences now that she is stripped of the duty to watch his back. The markswoman fought the urge to hurry down and join the ground group, choosing to trust Roy and his own brand of leadership.

hr

The suspicion and hostility were expected and the infiltration group were quick on their feet to scatter throughout the campsite, proceeding with Riza's crafted plan to vanquish the rebel group. Roy remained at the center of it all, barring any member of the rebel group from interfering with his squad's search mission.

Six months after being faced with the Gate of Truth and he still wasn't used to clapping his hands together to use alchemy. Then again, he was delighted at the fact that he would be much more useful in combat now, especially if fire was off the table. His wife had made it clear that he couldn't char the rebels to his liking. She was the commander of the mission, so every soldier must follow her decisions, regardless of rank.

Roy sank to the ground and laid his hands on the sand, creating metal prisons for the rebels who came to greet them at the centre of the campsite. "Search every tent. Retrieve victims, if they have. Engage them if armed, but remember: zero casualties!"

His eyes scanned the view before him quickly as each subordinate set to fulfil his orders. His ears picked up on the familiar cocking of a gun and he rolled towards a stack of barrels, transmuting them quickly to a thick shield. The Brigadier General brought his hands another time and stuck his neck out to check which captured rebels were armed, before laying them on the sand once more.

Fire razed the ground and sand turned into melted glass at the heat of Roy's flames. Tendrils of these melted glass clasped around the armed rebels, pinning them securely to the ground. The alchemist allowed himself to smile at his handiwork. At least he won't be completely useless on rainy days now, with his enhanced alchemical abilities.

Another gun cocked and his eyes squinted before he transmuted the sand he was standing on to a metal board to shield himself on all sides. What he didn't take into account was how close this new gunner was, and the bullet grazed his shoulder before the metal board could extend to cover him fully.

The bullet pierced the wooden shield in front of him, relieved that it was severely off target. Roy winced as the pain on his injured flesh introduced itself. Whilst inside the protective hub that he built around himself, he set the ground afire with his alchemy, making sure that the flames' heat was at a non-lethal degree. Once he determined the location of his gunner, Roy stood up and stepped out of his makeshift shields.

"My lady won't take too kindly to this injury, you know," he growled, transmuting metal tendrils to secure the bastard of a gunner to the ground.

"Fuck you, alchemist," the gunner screeched, an unfamiliar accent colouring his speech.

"Aerugonian," Roy hummed then grunted. "Interesting. I'm curious to know of your objectives once we get you barred in our nice little prisons."

"There are more of us, you smug bastard!" the man bellowed. "Even with your power, you won't be able to protect yourself from the bullets when they rain!"

Just as the gunner finished his threats, several screams and howls of pain were heard from the outside. Roy perked his brows up and tapped his foot. "Oh, you mean them?"

"What the hell did you do?! There's more of you?!"

"Yes, we have friends," he said, tearing a piece of fabric from a shirt that hung nearby to press against his wound. "But don't worry. We've been commanded not to kill any of you."

"That's not nobility. That's plain cowardice," the man spat before he yelped in pain some more.

"Oh, I beg to differ, Mr. Gunner." Finally, the Flame alchemist took pity and put out the fire that threatened to roast the man's skin.

He heard several gunshots firing outside, and while he wanted to come out of the small camp to check the situation, Roy chose to stay as his abilities were needed to keep the more powerful rebels in check. The young general was quick to note that majority of those whom he captured were alchemists.

Soon, the Military Police and some of the members of the Ground Group entered the campsite. The members of his own infiltration group were slowly returning from the search. Not all of them were dragging out other rebels, while some of them were escorting hostages.

Considering his job done, he let the rest of the team handle the cleanup of the situation. Havoc tied the cloth to his shoulder to stop the bleeding, and he was grateful for it. With the smell of his own blood making him nauseous and the heat of his own flames rendering the atmosphere stuffy, Roy struggled to stay on his feet.

"Chief, you don't look so well," his adjutant noted, quickly offering support to his side.

Roy mustered up a faint smirk. "Yeah, I think I lost more blood than I had initially thought."

"The Colonel's going to get you for that, Chief."

"I know. I'm not looking forward to it. Anyways, let's head back to camp the debriefing. We should hope to finish by the time Miles have gone back from getting Scar."

"Yes, sir."

"Good job on your first active mission after getting back, soldier," Roy commended before he passed out.

hr

The smell of antiseptics assaulting his nose was the one that woke him up. Roy held his breath as the events of the recent mission came back to him quickly. Suppressing a groan, he opened his eyes slowly, ready to face the pair of brown eyes that were sure filled with a mixture of worry and anger.

He couldn't hold back the disappointment when it was pitch black that covered his vision, instead of those warm honey-brown eyes. Roy closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. A sharp, frustrated sigh escaped his slightly opened mouth.

"Of course, she isn't here, you idiot. You can't be seen together during this whole mission," he groaned softly to himself.

Roy ran his hand to his face and then balled his fist, laying it on his forehead. The Brigadier General couldn't remember the last time he felt this desolate after being injured, but there was no room for selfishness at the moment. They have shed all their luxuries when they boarded that train to the East, and he shouldn't have expected his team waiting on his needs while his wife held his hand till he woke up. He wasn't even sure why such expectations came to mind.

"Who're you talking to?"

The voice startled him and he jumped slightly, his shoulders starting in surprise. The reaction made his injured flesh ache sharply, and Roy was unable to hold back the grunt of pain. He glanced to his shoulder and cussed under his breath when he saw the light-coloured bandage darkening.

"Roy?"

"Are we alone?"

Riza sat up and hummed in affirmation. "Wouldn't be lying on the bed next to you if we weren't."

"Right," he replied, seeing the logic.

"How could—"

"Lovey, I think I reopened my wound," he stated, cutting her rant off before she could start.

Roy heard a sigh of exasperation before the narrow bed dipped. "Of course, you did. I'll get a medic. Don't do any more reckless things."

"Aye, ma'am."

hr

The Brigadier General chewed the end of his thumb in thought after his wife reported the results of the debriefing, interrogation, and the initial conversation between Riza and Scar. "A desert country, huh?"

"It's the least of our concerns at the moment. While we cannot exactly reach out to Aerugo for their knowledge regarding this matter, I made sure Grandfather will cover all bases to know if there are still Amestrians in either East area or South area who have connection to this rebel group," Riza assured.

He balled his fist once more and frowned deeply. "I need to—"

"You are deployed to assist on the mission of Ishval restoration, Roy," Riza reminded seriously. "Unless you ask to be re-assigned, I cannot consent to you running off and taking another matter into your hands as you please."

Swallowing, he closed his eyes tightly and took a few breaths to calm himself. "I apologise."

"It's fine."

"Will it not affect restoration efforts? A part of Aerugo and a strip of land in the Ishvalan territory share a border, after all," the Brigadier General asked.

Riza shook her head. "Scar has disclosed a brief history of Aerugo offering them help during the extermination through outdated weaponry. However, such amicable relations were halted short after the Aerugonian monarchy refused the Ishvalans' request to seek shelter. He says he has no reason to believe that Aerugo will antagonize the land if our side does not do anything that will harm their territory or people. Besides, the border struggle in Fotset is keeping their hands full."

"You are correct, of course," Roy nodded with a sigh. "I can't help but wonder how we'll settle the border struggle in the South and the West, though."

"How about we take care of Amestris' internals before we resolve neighboring problems?"

Roy looked at his wife with a determined expression on his face. "Right, one thing at a time."

A comfortable silence reigned over them as Riza changed from her military uniform to civilian clothing. Roy watched with a bit of sadness, knowing that they wouldn't be coming home to each other starting that evening. In his lonesome, he remembered an important question. "Any word from Scar on whether we'll be tried for our actions in the extermination?"

Riza paused her movements and turned to look at her husband. She took a breath before she spoke. "He has said that he has discussed it with the whole community, and that he would like to speak to us both tomorrow, so I didn't get any details of said discussion."

"I see."

Roy stood from the bed and walked over to stand behind his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist. From her reflection in the mirror in front of Riza, Roy could see the heaviness of both dread and guilt weighing in her eyes. "One thing at a time, my love. This is the moment we have prepared for."

The Colonel turned in his arms and nodded, laying her forehead on his chest. Riza closed her eyes and reveled in the warmth of her husband, her arms snaking around his waist. "I know. I'm more than ready."

"Whatever happens to either of us," he started, tugging her closer to him as much as possible. "Know that I love you very, very much."

"And I you," Riza breathed. "To hell and back."

"To hell and back."

Their heads angled to accommodate their proximity, and their lips merged in a tender lock, slow, indulgent, and long. When they parted for air, their foreheads touched and the sides of their noses pressed against each other so they can bask in the hardest luxury they needed to give up for the many days to come…the luxury of oneness.

"I already miss you terribly," he whispered.

"Please don't make this hard," she breathed back.

"I will see you tomorrow, my beautiful Queen?"

"I shall make sure you do, my darling King."

They sealed away every desire and longing, every ache and wanting with one last kiss before parting. They both knew it was finite and temporary, but they also knew that the separation would be as difficult as going through Promised Day once more, with both of them coming close to losing each other.

* * *

"Currently, we have restarted our religious studies. While the military is recuperating from that day, I took on the part of recalling Ishvalans and re-organizing the community with the help of Major Miles' team," Scar said, tapping on the ruins of Xerxes on the map that Riza had laid out. "Our latest headcount is 327: 127 women of ages 13 and up, 155 men of ages 13 and up, 25 girls ages 12 and below, 20 boys ages 12 and below.

"We have been surviving through food we obtain through trade with the goods I make with my alchemy, as there are several peddlers from Xing who cross the desert. Still, we are rather inclined to resettle in Ishval," Scar finished.

Riza nodded, taking notes of his report. "And that is what we will be helping you with for the coming months. We will be working on stabilizing the Ishvalan community, and eventually, your re-integration in Amestrian community. I'm not saying you'll be granted amnesty, since that would entail your community is in trouble with the law, when you are not. It is the Amestrian state who has failed its citizens, as spearheaded by the late Führer."

"I realize that my own community has been accepting of me as its spiritual leader, despite the atrocities I have caused in the past. Will it not be an issue in the future? You said you will be re-integrating us in the society once more," Scar finished. "If they see me, they might associate me first with the crimes I have committed against the military. Those in the know may understand, but the general populace will not."

Roy shook his head. "Your elusiveness during those times had become quite helpful today. Only a handful of the military have determined your true identity, so it was easy to do damage control on our part. That being said…"

Her eyes swiped to her husband's direction and she nodded in understanding. "Regarding the stunted conversation that we had yesterday, Scar-san…"

The man in question sat against his chair and wordlessly urged the mission commander to continue. Major Miles excused himself from the room, knowing that it was a conversation he had no vested interest in hearing.

"We fully realize that the Brigadier General and I have committed actions nothing short of crime during the war," Riza started. "Our initial plans have been to get him to the top, transition this country towards a democracy so that we would be tried for these war crimes."

"But…?"

"But we realize that the actions we committed weren't against the state of Amestris, but against the Ishvalan community," Roy continued seriously, lacing his hands together.

Frowning, Scar took a breath. "What, then, are you trying to imply?"

"We would like to be tried in Ishvalan court," Riza concluded. "There is a chance that there might be bias if we are tried in Amestrian court. He is a high-ranking officer, and I, not so far behind. We would like justice to be delivered fairly. We believe that it is only through the Ishvalan community that true justice for our acts in the war will be served.

"However, whatever your court may decide, it will not dampen the efforts of the restoration. The Führer would like me to reiterate that fact," the Colonel finished.

"Our court, hm?" the Grand Cleric hummed in thought, his face passive.

Riza wrung her hands on her lap, hoping she wasn't overstepping her boundaries or sounding far too selfish with their intentions. "It doesn't have to be very formal. Whatever your community decides regarding our past actions, we will very well accept them."

"And what of the other people who have contributed efforts in the extermination?"

"Those who can are all here," Roy supplied. "Many have already died or are out of commission due to health complications. Those who are here have had individual conversations with the Führer himself. It was either join the restoration efforts and face whatever Ishvalan judgment may be, or face Military Court Martial.

"There are a lot who have chosen court martial. They have ended up demoted to the lowest rank of the military without any chances for promotion, offering life service. However, they will be put into prison once they set any hair out of the line," the Brigadier General finished.

"And did they know of these conditions?" Scar asked.

"No. The military wants to pride itself in creating soldiers who know how to properly discern their own actions from morally right and wrong. The Ishvalan extermination was nothing but crime, and if there are soldiers who do not believe that even after that it was already an established fact, then we have no use for them running around with luxuries and freedom," the alchemist nodded firmly.

"I understand. I shall bring this matter up with the community," Scar replied solemnly. "Do you have a preferred time of this trial?"

Riza looked towards her husband now. She was unsure when he would be called back to start his own mission with Xing. "Ideally, we are not in a hurry. I—we believe that the restoration takes top priority. This is not to say that justice isn't as important as—"

Scar held his hand up, which cut Riza off immediately. "Don't worry about such proprieties, Miss Riza. If it were I alone, I'd have deemed us equal since I have committed crimes against lots of people, most particularly State Alchemists, in a fit of misplaced anger. However, I do agree with you that it is the community who will get to decide. I only ask for you to allow me to convene with them first, and I will let you know once we have reached the decision. On the meantime, I think it's more important to commence the repatriation and restoration efforts first."

"Of course," the blonde Colonel nodded. "Thank you, Scar-san."

Their discussion and planning spanned the whole morning, until Scar left after they had lunch to go back to the ruins of Xerxes to gather his community. The military couple was left inside the small meeting room, only the sound of diningware clashing with diningware filling the sound of its wooden walls.

"Honestly, I hope the verdict comes before I get deployed to Xing," Roy whispered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "At least by then, I would have already decided on who to send in my stead."

"Noble thought, dear," Riza acknowledged softly. "But if this restoration is the last thing we'll ever get to do, we can't keep such thoughts occupying our head. This is number one on our short to-do list."

The Brigadier General nodded and sighed, taking her hand carefully. "I know, love. I know."

* * *

The only time such a huge number of military trucks were congregated in one area was during the end of the war, Riza had thought. How ironic it was that they come in peace now, instead of spilling blood on their holy land.

She jumped off the truck once it had parked at a safe distance from the Ishvalan ruins. There was a chill that went up her spine and stayed, but she gritted her teeth and fisted her hands to keep the emotions from taking over her. It wasn't the time to be ridden with emotions of haunt, but of emotions of determination.

Her eyes scanned the place and watched the shadows as they danced from the rays of the sun setting over the horizon. "We've got dwellers, it seems. And not the friendly kind, since they didn't greet us with welcoming arms. Stay here, Becky. I will consult with Scar and the elders on what to do. It is, after all, their land."

When Riza returned with the rest of their team, Mustang's men (noticeably without their leader), Scar, and Major Miles, Rebecca frowned at the party, noting the absence of alchemists save for the Grand Cleric himself. "We're allowed guns, but we're not allowed alchemy?"

"It's their land, Major. Their rules are what we are under right now. Remember the zero casualties protocol, men," Riza reminded firmly, as she turned to the rest of the units. "Don't shoot unless utterly necessary. Some of them may be Ishvalans themselves."

Roy's voice sounded through her headphone. "Everything's ready on my end, Colonel. Good luck out there and…"

The blonde hummed in understanding, knowing what words he wished to say but cannot.

* * *

She gasped sharply in pain as the cloth doused in antiseptic was tied tightly around her slashed arm. Honestly, it was a small gash, not entirely deep, but she wasn't going to complain about her whole team fussing over her. If she were to succumb to injury —in the desert, of all places— then she wouldn't be able to do her part in the restoration.

The only thing she found even the slightest bit funny was her husband struggling not to show his panic. Even then, she couldn't find it humorous for so long since the last time he ever saw a blade cut her skin was when he almost lost her.

Several hours after, the tents were pitched in the ruins and she commanded the first shifting group to take their posts around the borders of Ishval. Firearms were strictly bound to these guards. They were going to have to double their efforts in keeping rogue individuals from entering the restoration site, lest they wanted a scuffle to break out within the holy land.

The Ishvalans had gone through one of the most tumultuous ordeals any citizen of Amestris could ever imagine, and Riza wanted nothing more than for them to finally feel safe in their own home.

Once the sun had set in the desert, the whole Ishvalan community had gathered in the ruins of their old church, and Scar had officiated the first ceremony after more than five years. Riza's lower lip quivered as she watched the sight before her. Some of the Ishvalans were dragging the soldiers and volunteers inside the chapel ruins for them to take part in the ceremony.

It was a small step, but it was a step nonetheless, that some of them had extended and accepted olive branches. The nervousness that she kept at bay for the longest time regarding this mission was slowly withering away. Now, she couldn't wait to get to know the community more, and immerse themselves in a culture that has never had the opportunity to shine in Amestris' society.

The Colonel felt a hand lay on her back gently, and she checked their surroundings just to see if anyone who weren't privy to their relationship would notice. Most of the crowd had gathered in the spacious chapel, and they were blocked by a wide pillar that was slashed in half.

"How are you holding up, darling?" Roy asked, voice careful not to be more than a whisper.

Deeming it as safe, she leaned back against his muscular chest and relished in his warmth. "I'm…I'm all right. I used to be nervous about this whole thing, but I think I can be excited now."

He smiled and dropped the quickest of kisses on the crown of her head before retracting all of the contact he had offered once some more people began filing inside the holy place. "So am I."

"It's not that I don't appreciate it, but we need to stop stealing these little moments, Roy," Riza said reluctantly. "There is so much at stake and we can't tell ourselves that we can weasel our way out of this when it comes to it."

The alchemist closed his eyes and let out a long, staggering breath. "I know that," he stressed, his voice still hushed in a whisper. "Don't you think I know that? But knowing it doesn't make it any easier."

"I'm sorry, but we're going to have to endure," she says emotionless, before Riza walked away from him to join Rebecca and Maria standing near the aisles.

Extreme guilt flooded her as she realised that she must have sounded pretty annoyed with him, but her guilt was short-lived as her mind rationalised that this was something that was needed to be done. Roy cannot just sneak up on her and offer physical contact, as she would automatically return it. It was a luxury that they agreed to shed whilst they were in Ishval, and she was hell-bent on keeping her end of the rope.

Dinner was, as expected, a rowdier affair than the holy ceremony. With the supplies that the military had brought, the soldiers, volunteers, and the Ishvalans all took part in making food for the whole community. The Colonel shared smiles and friendly banter with subordinates, volunteers, and Ishvalans alike, over activities in the outdoor kitchens.

The desert had grown several degrees cooler, but the warmth inside Riza was as prevalent as the first time it sparked. She finished giving the last rounds of command quickly, ensuring that no stone was left unturned. She retired to the tent she shared with Rebecca and Maria after taking a quick shower. Her adjutant followed not shortly after.

"Makes me think back to our days as bunkmates, eh, Ri?"

The Colonel nodded and offered her best friend a faint smile.

"You all right there?"

"Yes, just exhausted," she assured her friend. "And I am thankful for it."

Rebecca laid a hand on her commanding officer's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Look, I know you're worried about this whole nightmare thing, but who isn't? Ross and I may not have them as severely as you do, but she and I agreed that we'll help each other out. You're going to have to lower some of those walls of yours, as we're going to be in this for a real long time."

Riza frowned, but nodded in understanding. "I know, Becky. Thank you."

The Major clasped her hands together and smirked devilishly. "That being said, how far have you gone with Mustang?"

Her cheeks immediately heated up and she was extremely grateful that the insides of their tent were dim. "I'm not lowering my walls i _that_ /i far!"

"You say that now, but one of these days, I am going to make you talk."

Silently, the blonde hoped she would have enough willpower to prevent such a happening.

* * *

A/N: They finally arrived in Ishval! We have about two more chapters about the restoration before we move on.

Again, an endless amount of gratitude to you, my dear readers who continue to go with me on this journey. It's not the most exciting fic out there, and it certainly needs a lot of work cohesion-wise. My only wish is that I hope you're still enjoying reading, as I am still enjoying writing it.

Like always, a review regarding the story content, pacing, or whatever it is that you feel like you need to tell me about the story is very, very much welcome and appreciated. (I really don't want to seem like I'm fishing for reviews, but it'd be nice to know if I am still making sense. lol Cheers!)


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